WESTMINSTER

Officials are advising residents to stay away from trees in Bowling Green Park, where fire ants were found recently. The ants, whose bites can be extremely painful, nest near trees and become very aggressive when their hills are disturbed, Jeff Howell of the city’s Public Works Department told the City Council on Tuesday. He said the city has already purchased bait to sprinkle near the hills. The bait is carried inside to be eaten by the queen, sterilizing her and causing the colony to eventually die out, Howell said.