Taking the Bite Out of Fire Ants
Quick Facts
Problem/Diagnosis
Ants have been around for more than 100 million years – 500 times the lifetime of all human history. There are nearly 700 species in North America alone and they constitute an estimated 15% to 25% of the total terrestrial animal biomass on Earth, greater than that of all human beings. They are veracious creatures and perhaps no better example lies with the red imported fire ant.
The red imported fire ants are not native to the United States. It is believed to have been introduced via Brazilian cargo entering the port of Mobile, Alabama in the 1930s. They now infest a majority of the Southern and Southwest United States.
They’re smart, they’re strong, they’re organized, they burn like fire when they bite, and here to stay. Once you get them in your yard or home they can be difficult to get rid of. They are quite a force to be reckoned with. Don’t think of them as individual small insects. In fact, although not physically connected, they are often described as “superorganisms” because their colonies appear to operate as a unified entity.
But that doesn’t mean you give up and move out when they move in. With a few good housekeeping tips and some help from Bayer Advanced, it is possible to take the bite out of these foreign pests in your home and lawn.
Most ants will damage plants by tunneling around the root system, excavating trunks for nesting, or killing plant tissue by secreting formic acid. And fire ants are no different. However, they also feast on crickets or other small animals. They are known for attacking humans as well where they bite and then sting by injecting toxic alkaloid venom.
Fire ant mounds will most often be concealed in your lawn under mulch, gravel, stones, landscaping timbers, pavement or beneath the grass edge adjoining the foundation wall of your house. But they can also form mounds up to 15 inches high in open areas. These mounds can reach several feet deep.
According to the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, up to 60 percent of people living in infested areas like the Southeast are stung each year by fire ants. Because children often play outside, they are especially likely to be stung.
Diagnosis of a potential fire ant problem can be quite simple – the presence of a single fire ant. Ants are excellent communicators and masters at organization. They work 24 hours a day non stop. So rest assured if you see one ant, there will likely be millions that follow if they identify a food or water source in your home or garden.
Ants all serve one purpose – to feed the colony and serve the queen. The queen can live up to 6-7 years and can lay around 1,500 eggs a day. She can move her colony from lawn to lawn on occasion, as queens have wings and can fly.
The Florida Extension Service says single-queen colonies may contain as many as 100,000 to 240,000 workers. Multiple-queen colonies have many egg-laying queens with 100,000 to 500,000 workers. Single-queen colonies fight with other fire ant colonies. Because of this antagonistic behavior, colonies can be far apart in your lawn, which increases the risk of stepping on one.
Misconceptions About Ants
There are a few common misconceptions about fire ants. Kicking or otherwise disturbing an ant mound will not eliminate the ants. Running over the mounds with a lawnmower or drowning them with a watering hose are equally ineffective at doing anything less than irritating the ants for a few hours.
Ants are highly social creatures with a massive communications network. Just as they are able to communicate good news about food sources to the colony by leaving chemical trails behind, they are also able to mark danger. If you disturb a mound, the first act of business is to protect the queen who is often hidden deep underground – as much as five feet for some species. In times of danger, the queen is simply moved laterally, and a new mound will soon form nearby.
Another misconception is that one ant colony has one queen. This is not always true. Some ant species may have several queens capable of reproducing for the colony. So elimination of the entire colony is necessary for any long-term ant prevention solution.
Solution
Steps You Can Take in Your Lawn
As for the interior of your home, you can reduce the chances of ants getting inside by caulking around door thresholds, windows and openings where utility pipes and wires are located. You should also check your exterior siding or wood trim – if it has moisture damage, replace it.
Putting the Fire Out
If you want to get rid of fire ants in your yard, Bayer Advanced™ Fire Ant Killer Dust or Bayer Advanced™ Fire Ant Killer Granules kills ants fast. Ants are killed on contact and your yard protected from infestation for months. Just sprinkle one to two teaspoons over the ant mound and water thoroughly within a day after applying.
Protect Your House
If you see ants inside your home, you can use Bayer Advanced™ Home Pest plus Germ* Killer Indoor and Outdoor Insect Killer Ready-To-Spray. It kills ants and other pests in seconds. Indoors, it kills insects for up to 12 months* and reduces 99.9% of the germs** they may leave behind with a single application.
Always read and follow label instructions.
12 Months* - Up to 12 month indoor insect protection for German cockroaches, black carpenter ants and house crickets on non-porous surfaces.
Germs** – Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacter aerogeneses on hard, non-porous, non-food contact surfaces. No residual sanitizer action. Not for primary uses as a sanitizer.
Products Mentioned In This Article
Bayer Advanced