How to Identify Fire Ants
Before making a call to Fire Ant Control, LLC, you might want to establish that you have a problem and need to know how to identify fire ants. You can reduce the risk of injury and property damage due to an infestation by noting the problem early and scheduling a service.
The red imported fire ant came to the US in the 1930s through the Port of Mobile and has now become commonplace all over the Southeast and beyond. As a collective, Fire Ant Control, LLC, in partnership with our sister companies, can handle the entire quarantined area, treating up to 1,000 acres per day.
The Fire Ant Appearance
Spotting a fire ant can be tricky unless you’re stung, but let’s avoid that if possible. Fire ants are red and black with an exoskeleton and six legs. The worker ants have a copper brown, round head with mandibles. The midsection, or thorax, is armored, and the abdomen consists of the pedicle and gaster. Red imported fire ants bite with their mandibles and have an abdominal stinger. They bite and sting their victims.
The Attack
Once red imported fire ants bite their victims, they hold on with their mandibles and inject their unique venom through the stingers.
The result of the attack is painful burning, welts, and blisters. An anaphylactic reaction can occur in some cases, leading to death without medical intervention.
Reproduction
If a colony becomes overpopulated, the queen will bear winged male and female ants for reproduction. The two sexes will fly into the air and mate. Once they mate, the male dies, and the queen lands to establish her new colony.
The Appearance of Mounds
Mounds are the only above-ground indication of fire ants other than the ants themselves. They stand 10” high, with the width of a dinner plate and the consistency of loose soil. Mounds will be most apparent directly after a rain when the fire ants have flown to a dry area.
Managing the Problem
Once you’ve established that you do indeed have a fire ant problem, you should make arrangements with Fire Ant Control, LLC, to handle the situation.
We provide a money-back guarantee. If you schedule service every four months, your property will remain 85% free of fire ants, or we’ll return your expenses.
We use a strong granular bait that fire ants perceive to be food. The worker ants will carry these down into the colony, effectively ending the population.
The bait sterilizes the queen. As the living ants expire, no new ants will hatch as replacements, so the colony will cease. This process may not be immediate, but it is very effective.
The bait we use has been approved for applications where people and animals are present. The typical chemicals you get from home improvement stores can be hazardous and only take care of the visible ants that come in contact with the spray.
Since red imported fire ants fly to mate, they’re migrating creatures, and they will return to your property eventually. You should schedule our service thrice-yearly to minimize any potential reinfestation.
Fire Ant Control, LLC, is happy to help manage the fire ant problem on your property once you know how to identify the ants. Schedule your service today by calling (239) 312-8200.