Fire ants, love them or hate them is up to you, but these ants are some of the most damaging ants that are non-native to the U.S. The majority of fire ants found in the southwestern and southern U.S. are the red imported fire ants (RIFA). The RIFA was accidentally introduced into the states via a South American cargo ship that docked in Mobile, Alabama, in the 1930’s. The RIFA is estimated to cost an estimated $ 5 billion dollars annually on medical treatment, damage and in pest control of RIFA invasioned areas. They also cost an estimated $ 750 million dollars in damage to agriculture, this includes veterinarian bills, crop damages and livestock deaths. It is estimated that between 30-60% of people living in fire ant infested areas are bitten each year.
The RIFA was accidentally introduced into the states via a South American cargo ship that docked in Mobile, Alabama, in the 1930’s. The RIFA is estimated to cost an estimated $ 5 billion dollars annually on medical treatment, damage and in pest control of RIFA infested areas. They also cause an estimated $ 750 million dollars in damage to agriculture, this includes veterinarian bills, crop damages and livestock losses. It is estimated that between 30-60% of people living in fire ant infested areas are stung each year.
The typical fire ant colony will produce large mounds in open areas, and feed mostly on young plants, seeds, crickets, and even small animals. Unlike other ants, which bite and spray acid into the wound, fire ants will bite only to get a grip and then sting with their abdomen to inject a toxic alkaloid venom called solenopsin.
The fire ants have bodies just like all other insects. They are broken up into sections, the head, the thorax, and the abdomen; they also have three pairs of legs and a pair of antennae. The fire ant can be identified by their copper brown head with darker abdomens. The worker ants are reddish to blackish in color and their size varies from 2mm to 6 mm (.12in to .24in) The nest will contain many different sizes of the fire ants. A typical fire ant colony will produce large mounds in open areas, and feed mostly on young plants, seeds, crickets, and even small animals.
Eliminating the fire ant colony is not as easy as it looks. Fire ants nest in the dirt, often near moist areas such as river banks, pond edges, watered lawns and even highway edges. The nest will usually be invisible as it can be under objects such as timber, logs, bricks, rocks, paver stones and more. If there is no cover for the nest, you will see dome shaped mounds in open spaces, mainly in fields, parks and lawns.
Getting rid of the fire ants is not easy. Fire ants nest in the soil, often near wet moist areas such as river banks, pond edges, watered lawns and even highway edges. The nest will usually not be visible as it can be under objects such as timber, logs, bricks, rocks, and pavers. If there is no cover for the nest, you will see dome shaped mounds, mainly in fields, parks and lawns. To get rid of them you will need to locate their main base of operation, their nest so to speak. But be very careful they are aggressive and will attack you; you may have to contact a professional to help you destroy these ants if you are not confident about eliminating them on your own.