How Do You Keep Red Fire Ants Away?

When you call Florida home, you can count on a few things: warm days, sunny skies, and fire ants. Prepare for life in this environment by stocking up on sunblock, investing in a few cheap pairs of shades, and learning how and what you can do to keep red fire ants away. Read on for a few tips, including booking with Fire Ant Control, LLC, three times per year.

Common Tips and Tricks for Minimizing the Fire Ant Population

How Do You Keep Red Fire Ants Away?Behavior can play a role in the fire ant population in your home. Keeping the yard clear of logs, leaves, and other debris that fire ants find attractive, sealing up animal food tightly, and fixing water leaks immediately are a few ways that you can make your property less appealing to fire ants.

You should also seal your home well; check weather-stripping at doors and windows to keep the pests from invading your home.

Others insist that home remedies like applying diatomaceous earth, pouring boiling water on mounds, and spraying vinegar on fire ants are effective ways to rid your property of fire ants. Unfortunately, these measures are, at best, ineffective, and they can actually be dangerous (at least the pouring of boiling water).

The ideal way to deal with fire ants is to call Fire Ant Control, LLC, or click here for a booking.

Identifying and Understanding Fire Ants

The identification of fire ants is fairly simple. Fire ants are dark red and have a double-segmented pedicel that looks like two bumps on the body of the fire ant.

The problem with fire ants is that they’re so common and injurious. They bite and sting at the same time, holding on with their mandibles while injecting venom with their stingers. They rarely attack as a single fire ant, and they’ll continue singing until physically removed and forced to stop. While the bites usually just cause an immediate burning pain followed by an itchy blister that lingers for a week, the venom can cause problematic and even deadly allergic responses.

Be cautious of the following symptoms following a fire ant bite and seek immediate medical attention if they occur:

  • Dizziness
  • Hives
  • Chest tightening
  • Nausea
  • Tongue or throat swelling
  • Difficulty breathing

Home care for fire ants includes washing the area with soap and water, applying a cold compress, taking an allergy pill for itch or swelling, and applying a topical hydrocortisone cream for itch.

If you have an allergic reaction that includes localized swelling, pain that doesn’t diminish over time, or red streaks up your leg, seek medical attention. You may receive treatment with corticosteroids, antibiotics, IV antihistamines, and other interventions. Once you’re aware of an allergy, carry an Epi-Pen to use in case of an anaphylactic response.

When venturing forth in untreated spaces, take precautions. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, tuck your pant legs into your socks, and wear closed shoes. Look out for mounds and avoid disturbing them, even slightly.

Rely On Fire Ant Control, LLC for a Real Solution

Fire Ant Control, LLC, uses granular bait that stops reproduction in its tracks and appeals to the ants so that they carry it to the queen for her nourishment. The ants seal their own fate when they carry the cause of their population’s demise to their matriarch.

Within one full life cycle, the population will diminish by 85-95% and will remain that way with repeat treatments every four months.

Book with Fire Ant Control, LLC, for a surefire answer to the question of “how do you keep red fire ants away?” To do so, call (239) 312-8200 today or contact us online.