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The Fire Ant is a stinging ant that has over 280 species all over the world. They have other common names as well, such as Ginger Ants, and Red Imported Fire Ants. In Japan they are called aka-kami-ari, France- Solenopsis, and Germany- Feuerameise. The bodies of this pest are separated into 3 different sections: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. Since they are insects, they also have six legs and two antennas. These ants tipically have a darker abdomen than the rest of their bodies. The workers are blackish to reddish, and vary in size from 2mm to 6 mm. These ant colonies create large mounds in open areas and eat plants, seeds, and other insects like crickets. They often attack small animals like squirrels and baby birds, which can kill them. Most ants bite and spray an acid on the wound, but these ants only bite their prey to get a grip and then they inject from their abdomen a toxic alkaloid venom called Solenopsin. This can make humans feel like the area is on fire, which is how they got their name. In extreme and rare cases, the after affect can even kill sensitive or small individuals. These ants build their ants in soil, usually near moist areas. They prefer to not have their mounds exposed and out in the open, so they will nest under logs, bricks, rocks, and other obstructions. But if they don’t have cover for their nests, they will build dome shaped mounds in fileds, the yards of homes, and parks. Colonies begin with one to a few queens and can expand to thousands of members. Biologically, most of these ants don’t bother people and are non violent, but the Red Imported Fire Ant is extremely evasive all over the world inluding the United states. The RIFA was accidentelly introduced to our country through a port in Alabama from a South American cargo ship in 1918 and now infests most of the Southern states. The US, Taiwan and Australia are making an effort to control or eliminate this ant, but with the exception of Australia, this hasn’t been effective yet. Australia has spent almost 2 million dollars and has eliminated 99% of these ants in their infested South East Queensland area.
How to control Fire Ants in your home or yard:
Inside- It’s a good idea to use a bait inside of the cupboards, closets, window sills, attics, crawl spaces and other places where these ants forage for food. Dupont Advion Ant Bait gel and Dupont Advion Ant Bait Arenas are an excellent choice for ant control. Both provide complete control fo many types of ants with indoxacarb. This Is a slow acting poison that gives the foragers time to bring the bait back to the nest and contaminate the rest of the colony.
Outside- For long term control outside in the yard, Top Choice granules are a wise choice. For a quick knockdown and a short term residual, use Bifen Granules The most effective measure to take to control fire ants would be to use both the Top Choice once a year and the Bifen granules every three months. This will give you complete control in the yard.
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