Fighting invasive ants on Santa Cruz Island

Topline:

Invasive Argentine ants have plagued Santa Cruz Island for more than six decades displacing native species there. The Nature Conservancy – which manages a sizable chunk of the island – is slated to receive nearly $815,000 from the federal government to help eradicate the ants.

Why now: The allocation is just a small piece of a nearly $3 million dollar federal investment in programs focused on combating invasive species. It was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The backstory: Using a mixture of sugar and insecticide, Argentine ant populations have been reduced from more than 1,000 acres to fewer than 100 in less than a decade, according to Nick Holmes with The Nature Conservancy.

What's next: They'll continue to kill off the remaining ants and monitor the island to ensure they're not reestablishing themselves. Once given the space, native ant populations should reestablish.

More good news: The Santa Cruz Island fox has been making a steady comeback from the brink of extinction.