![]() Turner Pest Control provides full service lawn and outdoor pest control including a Fire Ant Protection Program. The sooner the infestation is treated, the less risk there is of someone disturbing the nest and being stung. Do not attempt to move the nest on your own. If you suspect you have a fire ant infestation or if you think you have a nest on your property, contact a licensed pest professional right away. If you do encounter a nest and are stung by fire ants, seek medical attention promptly.Ĭontrolling red imported fire ants can be very difficult and may only last for a short time as the ants tend to reinvade the next season. If you see an ant nest that looks like it could be fire ants, be sure to carefully avoid it. This species of ant also has a telltale mound nest structure. For about 2% of the population, stings from a red ant can also cause anaphylactic shock. Ants use pheromones to communicate with each other, so when one is in distress, others will come to its aid - usually to the detriment of whomever disturbed the nest. More likely, a person stung by a Fire Ant will receive multiple stings from multiple ants defending their nest. ![]() But rarely will someone be stung by a single ant. Do they present any health risks?įor most people, the sting of the red imported fire ant causes a raised welt that can become a white pustule and is very painful. They may be more prone to attack and will sting with more venom than usual. When this occurs, Fire Ants are an even greater threat because they do not have the safety of a nest and are very hungry. The colony will connect to form a ball and float until it encounters dry land. Some ant species need a specific food source to survive, but fire ants will eat almost anything, plant or animal, that they can find.įire Ants also have a unique way of surviving floods. They are red-yellow in color with an extruded stinger - always at the ready for use. The Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) is an invasive species imported from Brazil in the 1930s and is known to be more aggressive than other species of ants. What makes them unique?įire ants get their name from their especially painful sting or bite. One such species is the red imported fire ant. Some species such as odorous ants and pavement ants are simply a nuisance to homeowners, but other species can pose health risks or cause damage to a home. They tend to stick to a trail once established and may be found traveling through electrical outlets or into small holes in packaged food./ Blog / Fire Ants Are An Aggressive Species Fire Ants Are An Aggressive SpeciesĪnts are the most common household pest in the United States. Extremely tiny (1/16" or 2mm, or smaller) yellow or brown ants, with a two-segmented antenna club tip. X Research source X Trustworthy Source University of California Integrated Pest Management Program Research-based pest management program run by the University of California's Cooperative Extension Go to source Non-professional extermination attempts can worsen the problem. Yellow or orange ants that will happily nest almost anywhere, with a slightly thicker three-segmented "club" at the end of the antenna. X Trustworthy Source University of California Integrated Pest Management Program Research-based pest management program run by the University of California's Cooperative Extension Go to source Pavement ants typically nest in soil or sidewalk (pavement) cracks, with small dirt "craters." Slow-moving, with distinct grooves visible under magnification.When nesting indoors, they are found in decaying wood and masonry. No spines and a tiny, almost invisible stinger make this ant difficult to identify. Little black ants: Tiny (1/16" or 2mm) black ants, as you might guess.The following two-node species are common pests in some areas, but not as widespread as the species above: White-footed ants: These 1/8" (3.5 mm) ants are usually black with pale "feet." A flat, hidden node, no thorax spines.Most easily distinguished by the much larger, winged females, which are found near light or floating in standing water. Rover ants: male workers are 1/16" (2 mm), small and black with unusual straight antenna. ![]() Primarily found in trails looking for sugar, but this varies.
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