Fire Ant Control & Treatment in Umatilla, FL
Imported red fire ants are invasive and will infest your property in all areas. When they’re disturbed, they’ll injure people and pets and damage property. If you need fire ant control & treatment in Umatilla, FL, Fire Ant Control, LLC, will give you an excellent solution.
The Fire Ant Life Cycle Is the Key
Controlling imported red fire ant populations is easy when you understand the life cycle. Female and male ants fly and mate in the air. The male dies post-copulation; the female drops to the ground, digs a tunnel to lay eggs, and forms her own colony. She is the leader and sole source of reproduction for the colony.
As the baby fire ant factory, she will lay 1,500 eggs/day. The eggs take 20-25 days to hatch, and the adult workers will live up to 180 days.
Colonies can have multiple queens, and ant colony populations can grow to be massive. For instance, a single queen colony may have 7 million ants/acre, but a multi-queen colony can host 40 million ants/acre.
Understanding the Fire Ant Habitat
Imported red fire ants are exceptional builders. Their colonies consist of networks of underground tunnels. The above-ground, oval-shaped mounds are the only visible indication of the colony, and the mounds serve as the exit/entrance, thermal stabilizer for the colony, and the guard post. You’ll find ants in unusual places. If the area has moisture, food resources, and warmth, you could find ants anywhere. They might move on to the neighboring property, or they could move into your pantry or playroom.
The population of the fire ant colonies will grow without professional intervention. Unfortunately, your child, mailman, or guest could be the one who gets attacked.
Best Practices for Fire Ant Treatment
The chemicals and DIY treatments that you’ve heard of likely only treat the individual mounds. These methods won’t work long-term. You might kill a few surface ants, but the colony will continue to thrive below ground.
To have a semi-permanent solution to the problem, management methods should address reproduction, which is the population’s greatest strength. We use a granular bait that is safe for use around people and animals but not for fire ants.
The worker ants take the bait and deliver it to the queen. Once the queen is sterilized, the ants die off naturally and aren’t replaced with new ants. The entire colony dies off, not just the surface ants. Our bait doesn’t last forever but will remain effective for about four months.
Full insurance coverage and licenses are held by Fire Ant Control, LLC. We’re cleared for use on private and public property, with no time required for re-entry on private property, so you don’t have to stress about hiring us if you have children or pets.
Dial (239) 312-8200 for a conversation with our front desk staff if you’d like to have more answers to questions, to get a free estimate, or to schedule service. Fire Ant Control, LLC, will provide fire ant control and treatment for your property in Umatilla, FL for six-month periods.