Do Fire Ants Have a Queen?
Red imported fire ants are unwanted – they cause injury, destruction, and expense. Maintaining control of these pests is possible when you understand them as a species. Read on to find answers to all of your burning fire ant questions (pun intended), including “Do fire ants have a queen?” and “How can I avoid fire ant bites?” provided by the experts here at Fire Ant Control, LLC.
Meet the Challenge of Fire Ants
Whether your adversary is human or insect, knowing as much as possible about them will increase your odds of overcoming the challenges they place before you. Let’s explore the characteristics of red imported fire ants and how we at Fire Ant Control, LLC, leverage these factors to defeat them.
Habitat
The introduction of fire ants to North America was not purposeful. They infiltrated the country through the Port of Mobile in the early 1930s from South America. Florida’s humidity, heat, and moisture make this area ideal for their success. However, native fire ants offer little in the way of natural competition since fire ants are so aggressive in breeding and defense. For this reason, fire ants have spread throughout the southern US over the last century.
Mounds
As fire ants tunnel underground, they push up loose soil, creating mounds. The mounds offer a way for fire ants to enter and exit the colony below, and they provide an avenue for temperature control, keeping the area below more comfortable for the heat-loving fire ants.
Fire ants prefer expansive grounds with little shade that maximize the sun’s warmth. However, they will nest practically anywhere. Furthermore, fire ants don’t need mounds to survive. If you need clarification on the presence of fire ants on your property, check the grounds following heavy rain. If you do, fire ants will create fresh mounds around higher ground or vertical structures.
Life Cycle
Fire ant colonies may have one or more queens. They lay the eggs, which become larvae, pupae, and adults. Larvae usually become tiny female worker ants that care for the queen and her brood and build the colony’s enormous network of tunnels.
A small portion of larvae become larger male and female fire ants with wings and reproductive potential. The two will mate in the air, the male will die, and the female will fall to the ground. At this point, she is a queen, laying her eggs in a newly established kingdom. The entire cycle of fire ants, from eggs to adults, is about a month’s span.
Feeding Habits
The female fire ant workers hunt for food, mainly in the morning and evening. They’re not picky about their diet, eating everything from vegetation, seeds, small animals, and ham sandwiches. If it’s organic, it’s on the fire ant menu, and the workers will carry it down into the colony for the queen and others.
The Fire Ant Solution
Fire Ant Control, LLC, targets reproduction rather than individual fire ants. We use a granular bait that appeals to the fire ants, sterilizes the queen, and reduces the fire ant population by a minimum of 85%. With retreatment every four months, properties will remain up to 95% free of fire ants.
Now that you know, yes, fire ants have a queen, and she is the colony’s weakness, choose Fire Ant Control, LLC, to manage your property’s fire ant issues. Click here or call (239) 312-8200 to book a free consultation or to reserve a spot on our service schedule.