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Fire Ants

Native to South America, fire ants are considered a species imported into the United States, and as you can imagine, they are pretty common in Florida. If you are wondering how to get rid of fire ants or want to learn more about them, stay on this page for more information.

General Facts About Fire Ants

The Latin name of’ fire ants is Solenopsis invicta, and they favor warm and sunny climates. Fire ants avoid shady areas, such as woods, as they prefer dry fields. Their colonies can grow up to several hundred thousand ants in number, including at least one queen.

Appearance

Worker fire ants come in many sizes between ⅛ and ¼ inches. The mandible has four distinct teeth and ten-segmented antennae, ending in a two-segmented club. Their body color is red to brown, with a black gaster.

Reproduction, Diet & Habitat

Fire ants typically nest in the ground, and some colonies can have up to 250,000 workers. They didn’t get their name just for their reddish color, as they are very active, aggressive, and will sting any intruding animal repeatedly.

Fire ants consume both animal and plant foods such as meats, greasy things, sweets, spiders, ticks, honeydew melon, arthropod eggs, seeds. They can also eat newborn birds, rodents, and calves

How Did I Get Fire Ants?

Fire ant colonies often move into yards as a result of infested nursery plants or grass sod used in residential landscaping. If you have a sunny yard, you may fall victim to a fire ant infestation.

Are Fire Ant Infestations Dangerous?

Yes, they are. Fire ant stings are not only painful for most humans but can also be fatal for some. If you experience a severe reaction such as nausea, sweating, and excessive itching, you should seek medical attention immediately!

Their sting includes alkaloid venom, and it can result in red bumps and white pustules. Because their colonies may contain 100,000 to 500,000 insects, the chances of multiple stings are real when dealing with a fire ant infestation.

The Solution — Ant Removal Services

Fire ant colonies are so big, they usually have several queens so they can recover quickly if a part of the colony and one of the queens have been killed. This alone should make it clear enough that coping with an infestation is extremely difficult.

This is where we, at Total Pest Services, come to the rescue. We can effectively conduct fire ants extermination and guarantee long-lasting results.

If You’ve Got Pests, Then Call the Best!