Life Cycle of Fire Ants
Different types of red imported fire ants live in a colony – queens, workers, and winged males and females that are capable of flight and reproduction. Each has a different role in the colony and a different life cycle. Learn more about them from Fire Ant Control, LLC, the recognized specialists in controlling red fire ants on any size or type of land.
Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are the worst of all fire ant species because they reproduce rapidly, do extensive damage, and are more aggressive than other species. If you are looking for a proven method of controlling fire ants on your residential, commercial or agricultural property, Fire Ant Control, LLC is the best fire ant killer around!
From small lots to properties with thousands of acres, our guaranteed service provides an effective, affordable solution for getting rid of fire ants on public and private land.
About Red Imported Fire Ants
Fire ants mate during flight – about 300 to 800 feet in mid-air. The male ant dies shortly after mating, and the mated female ant drops to the ground, sheds her wings, and searches for a suitable place to start a nest.
The new queen tunnels into the ground and seals herself inside to lay her first dozen or so “worker ant” eggs. The eggs hatch within seven to 10 days. This first brood of workers develops over 20 to 25 days, opens the nest (mound), and begins foraging for food, rearing more workers, and caring for their queen as she becomes an egg-laying machine – laying up to 1,500 eggs per day for two to seven years!
Most larvae develop into small, wingless female workers. Others develop into larger winged males or winged female reproductives (future queens). The larger winged males and females will eventually leave the nest to mate and form new colonies. The life expectancy of a worker ant is 30 to 180 days depending on its size, but the average is around 62 days. The queen will die after several years, signaling the end of the colony.
How Our Proven Fire Ant Treatment Works
To eliminate a fire ant colony, the queen must be killed. In multi-queen colonies, all queens must be killed. If the queens are not killed, the colony will most likely establish itself in another nearby area.
Fire Ant Control, LLC’s proven fire ant treatment focuses on sterilizing the queen. Extermination is not instantaneous but, once the worker ants have eaten the potent granular bait and carried it down into the colony, sterilizing the queen, the entire colony will disappear, and no new ants will be born.
Your property will be nearly free of fire ants within weeks; however, because fire ants fly to mate, they may return. For this reason, we recommend having your property treated three times a year to prevent them from re-colonizing your property.
We’re so confident our treatment works, we guarantee that it will rid your residential, commercial or agricultural property of 85-95% of your fire ants for four months at a time, or your money back.
If you are battling red imported fire ants or have more questions about their life cycle, Fire Ant Control, LLC, can help. Our services are fully licensed and insured. Call us today at (239) 312-8200 for a free estimate!