Ant expert Lin Chung-chi surmises that red imported fire ants may have been transported to Taiwan in the mud on the underside of aircraft cargo containers. Therefore, Taoyuan County, where Taiwan's largest international airport is located, was the site of the initial ant infestation, which remained undiscovered for one or two years as its spread from town to town.
螞蟻博士林宗岐推測，入侵紅火蟻可能是藉著航空貨櫃下的泥土偷渡台灣，因此機場所在地的桃園首當其衝，蟄伏一兩年中未被發現而蔓延各鄉鎮，隨後又藉著苗圃植栽或土方移動而侵入台北縣、嘉義縣，此外各地都有零星個案出現。