What Is a Fire Ant?

Found in certain areas of the southern US, the fire ant is pretty distinct from more common ant varieties you might be used to seeing in and around your house. They are known for their characteristic dome-shaped mounds, which can appear in your lawn, in sidewalk cracks, next to (or inside) your home, and near trees and gardens. Their colonies consist of hundreds of thousands of ants – queens (female ants who establish colonies and breed), drones (male ants who die after mating), and workers (ants who support the colony by collecting and storing food). Fire ant populations can spread quite quickly. After mating, females can fly as far as 12 miles from the nest to build their new colony, laying more than 1,500 eggs per day. When disturbed, they have a pretty painful stinging bite, and they can even kill and devour small animals like lizards.

Guest or Pest?

The fire ant is definitively a pest. These aggressive insects can take over your yard if not kept in check. Unlike other insects that sting only once, fire ants can sting multiple times. It’s important that homeowners remain aware that disturbing these mounds can encourage the ants to aggressively bite or sting the intruder. Adults, children, and pets may be at risk. A fire ant bite will often lead to a white, painful pustule within 24 hours. And, although a rarity, allergies to fire ant bites can lead to extreme injury or even death. 

Eliminate Fire Ants with Our Friends at Weed Man

We have to give a shout out to our friends at Weed Man for this one! If you see fire ants on your property, it is essential to act quickly before the fire ant population grows out of hand. Select Weed Man locations offer a fire ant management service to help homeowners greatly reduce fire ant populations on their property. 

And when it comes to other dangerous pests – ticks and mosquitoes – you can reclaim your outdoor space with Mosquito Hero! Find a Mosquito Hero near you and get a free quote today!