Fire Ant Control in Golden Gate Estates, Florida
Are you considering fire ant control in Golden Gate Estate, Florida? Fire ants are a problem for horse properties, farms and homeowners with large lots in Golden Gate Estates. Open, sunny areas provide ideal conditions for fire ants to grow and thrive during Florida’s hot weather.
Fire ants aren’t simply a nuisance pest. The ants will sting children, pets, livestock and anyone working outdoors or spending time in areas where fire ants have established colonies. Homeowners often find the problem seems to get worse following rain storms or as temperatures increase during the warmer months.
Why Fire Ants Are Such a Problem in Golden Gate Estates
Golden Gate Estates isn’t like a regular suburb with quarter acre lots. Properties often have acreage, wooded areas, drainage ponds, horse corrals or paddocks, gardens and open pasture areas.Fire ants love to build nests in all of these environments. They are drawn to open, sunny areas where they can build mounds in your lawn, pasture or fields. Fire ants also commonly nest near driveways, fence rows, landscaping beds and other structures.
Since fire ants prefer these sunny areas, they will often move closer to homes when given the opportunity. Large colonies can expand quickly when the weather is right. In fact, Southwest Florida has ideal conditions for fire ants most of the year.
Treatment can be difficult on large properties because a home owner cannot usually cover enough ground with over the counter treatments. Applying fire ant treatment to one mound won’t solve the problem because there are often multiple colonies spread out across large properties. Many homeowners in Golden Gate Estates find that after they treat one mound, several more will pop up days or weeks later.
The Dangers Fire Ants Pose On Properties
Fire ants don’t play nice when they feel threatened. These insects will attack en masse and continue stinging their target. Fire ant stings result in burning pain, swelling, itching and could cause severe allergic reactions in susceptible individuals.
Fire ants can pose several threats to your family and home including:
- Painful stings to kids playing outside
- Threats to pets and animals
- Damage to landscaping and lawn areas
- Invasion of outdoor equipment
- Disturbance while mowing or trimming the yard
- Colonies moving into out buildings
Because properties in Golden Gate Estates tend to be larger, it’s even more important to keep fire ants under control. A large piece of land gives ants more space to build new colonies. The colonies can go unnoticed for months when spread out over large areas of your land. It’s not uncommon for large fire ant colonies to contain multiple queens.
Professional Fire Ant Control Provides a Solution
DIY fire ant killers are generally designed to only kill the mound you see above ground. But what you don’t see underground can continue thriving if the queen survives. It isn’t long before a new mound appears after your treatment.
Professional fire ant control works by eliminating entire colonies. This process usually involves applying a granular fire ant bait. Worker ants carry the bait into the nest and feed it to the queen. This technique kills the colony over time by preventing the queen from reproducing.
Professional fire ant treatments are more effective for properties in Golden Gate Estates because your entire yard can be treated instead of just the visible mounds. These treatments also help to prevent new colonies from gaining a foothold on your property.
Fire Ant Treatments Vary During the Year
Rain, sunlight and temperature all play a role in fire ant activity. For instance, rain tends to flood ant colonies which forces them to relocate. Warmer temperatures bring about increased activity as ants leave the nest to forage for food. Property owners often see a sudden surge in mound building following heavy rains.
Fire ants will sometimes nest near your home if they run out of space or as a protective measure from extreme rain or drought. Ants have been known to build nests near foundations, irrigation boxes, AC units and electrical boxes.
Keep in mind that foraging ants are constantly expanding the boundaries of their colony. The location of the main nest can change if conditions become unfavorable.
Because of this, year-round treatment and inspections are recommended by most pest control professionals like Fire Ant Control. Preventative treatments every couple of months are usually enough to achieve a high level of control.
Preventing Fire Ants is Key
You can’t control fire ants if you don’t know they are there. Since fire ants build new colonies constantly, it’s important to maintain your property with regular treatments. Prevention will help to keep fire ants from spreading across your property.
Most homes in Golden Gate Estates have enough land that preventive treatments work best for long term control. By keeping your property treated, existing colonies can be reduced while hopefully preventing new queens from moving in.
Are you seeking fire ant control in Golden Gate Estates for your property? Contact us today to learn more about fire ant control in Southwest Florida.