Managing Fire Ants in and around Schools

Managing fire ants in and around schools is essential. The injuries that fire ants can cause, especially to vulnerable students, are entirely avoidable with regular treatment of the property by Fire Ant Control, LLC.

Fire Ants and Schools

Careful management of school grounds should include measures to control the presence of fire ants. Close monitoring for any sign of fire ant colonies should be a constant, and immediate treatment when they’re seen is essential. Of course, with Fire Ant Control, LLC, you’ll need to book service with us every four months.

A clean area with no debris, overgrown grass, and other places where fire ants find refuge will minimize fire ant infestation. Teachers and administrators should warn students to watch out for fire ants on the playground, especially younger children.

Fire ants pose a risk to students, teachers, and visitors, but they’re also a risk to property – killing vegetation, cracking sidewalks and structural foundations, and damaging HVAC and wiring systems.

At the most basic, can you imagine the disruption of a school day interrupted by a line of fire ants crawling through a classroom toward a forgotten opened snack?

The damage caused by fire ants to electrical systems and structural elements can be pretty expensive. Playground equipment, school buildings, and grounds-keeping equipment are costly to replace, and damage is preventable by simply controlling the fire ant population.

Fire ant infestations will ruin recess quickly, and since a small portion of the population has a severe allergy, young children attacked on a playground need to be closely monitored for reactions.

First Aid for Fire Ant Bites

If your students have had the misfortune of being involved in a fire ant war, they likely have some battle scars. What can you do?

First, remove the fire ants. Fire ants hold on, biting down with their mandibles, stinging repeatedly until physically removed.

Next, cleanse the area with soap and water or an alcohol wipe. Fire ants have a unique venom that is quite painful. Immediate cleansing can minimize the effect of the toxin.

You should also apply an anti-itch cream. If the student shows signs of an allergic reaction like localized swelling, redness, or extreme itchiness, we suggest providing an oral antihistamine.

If the student develops difficulty breathing, dizziness, swelling of the throat or tongue, or any other sign of anaphylaxis, medical intervention is urgent. This student may have an epi-pen if the allergy is known beforehand. Either way, medical care should be sought out immediately.

Book Fire Ant Control, LLC

We use methods for controlling fire ant populations based on strategy and a robust, granular bait. The bait sterilizes the queen when the scavenging ants carry it down for her sustenance. Being unable to lay more eggs, the colony dies out as the living ants expire, so the full benefit of the treatment is seen after a single life cycle.

Ants are mobile creatures. Since they move to escape hazards, seek food, and establish new colonies, schools should reschedule treatment every four months. School properties can remain up to 95% free of fire ants with service three times per year.

Learn more about managing fire ants in and around schools by contacting our Fire Ant Control, LLC team. Click here or call 239-312-8200.