Fire Ants are a problem because their sting can cause medical problems, they harm wildlife and interfere with outdoor activities. The following is some information you may want to know…..

Fire Ants

The fire ant is most known for the burning sensation produced after one bites you, a lot like a mosquito bite. A person or animal, disturbing a nest can be swarmed with hundreds of fire ants and not even realize it until they start biting. The fire ant will inject with a stinger containing toxic alkaloid venom, which it can do repeatedly, even after it has depleted all it’s venom. The stings often leave a burning and itching sensation. Later itchy blisters will appear and are prone to infection when scratched open.

A small percentage of people can be hypersensitive to the venom and have been know to react strongly, as a result of an allergic reaction. Some have suffered chest pains, nausea, dizziness, hives, swelling, shock or, in rare cases, lapsing into a coma. People experiencing these symptoms after being stung by fire ants should seek medical attention. It is very rare, but some deaths have been recorded from fire ant bites. Because of this, people have a fear of fire ants.

Fire ants mate between 70 and 95 degrees, when humidity is up near 100%. In Florida, this could happen any time of year, but usually peaks in the spring and fall months. After mating the males die, having served their only purpose. The female searches for a suitable nesting site in the soil. This “queen” burrows 3 to 6 inches into the soil and forms a chamber that she seals. The queen then begins to lay her eggs, the eggs take about 45 days to mature into adulthood. The queen does only one thing, and that is to lay eggs at a rate of 100,000 to 300,000 per year. She may live up to 7 years. The new workers break out of the chamber and begin foraging for food. They care for the queen and her young.

Fire Ant Control

Fire Ant Bed

Fire ants forage primarily at night and may travel up to 100 yards from their mound in search of food. Since fire ants are aggressive and efficient foragers we can use this knowledge for bait applications and pest control. Applying Broadcast bait when ants are foraging is crucial. Broadcast baits, an ant attractant, act slowly enough, that the workers carry the bait back to the queen, who eats the material before the effects are manifested. Re-treating problem mounds 7 to 10 days after the initial application is often warranted, since this method may take several weeks before the colony dies off.

Another method to manage fire ants is the application of granular insecticide. These products are not baits, but can be spread over the entire area that is infested with fire ants. These products are very effective and can give up to a year of fire ant control. The granular insecticide can reduce fire ant population by 95% or more. The disadvantages to these products are they only control fire ants where you have directly treated, and constant monitoring of newly effective areas is required.

To rid your home and yard of fire ants, call Miller Enviro Care, Inc. at 407-359-8888 for a complete inspection. We will design a program specific to your pest prevention needs.