Did You Know
Red Imported Fire Ant
Ant—Red Imported Fire
Size
Workers range from 1/16” to ¼” in length, and the queens average ¼” long.
Color
Fire ants have a head and thorax that appear yellowish red and an abdomen that is black.
Where
The red imported fire ant is from Central Brazil as is found in the southeastern United States, from Virginia through Texas.
Habitat
The red imported fire ant typically nests outside in the ground. Each colony has its own territory, and there is usually no movement between colonies. They will sometimes nest in areas of exposed soil within buildings such as bath traps. They also have a habit of building outside nests adjacent to foundation walls.
Diet
Fire ants prefer food with a high protein content but will feed on almost anything, plant or animal. Red imported fire ant are particularly destructive to vegetation.
Biology
Fire ant mounds usually will number 30 to 100 per acre with typically 80,000 but up to 250,000 members per colony. Typical mounds are rounded, being up to 18” high and 24” in diameter, each with several tunnels just under the surface. A queen is capable of producing her own weight in eggs each day or about 1,500. It will take between 22 to 38 days for those eggs to become adult fire ants. A mature colony can produce up to 4,500 swarmers each year, with 6 to 8 mating flights occurring between spring and fall. Mating flights will typically occur in the late morning, 1 to 2 days following a warm rain, and when it is sunny and not very windy.
Damage
Fire ants are attracted to electrical junction boxes of traffic signals, air conditioners, etc. When they mass around electrical contact points, they cause the equipment to malfunction.
Control
1. It is difficult. Repeated applications of liquid or granular residuals to eliminate the colony.
2. Although baits are slower acting, they are effective.
3. Baits containing only a stomach poison require several applications each season to control newly emerging workers when the queen(s) is/was not killed.
4. Baits containing only an insect growth regulator can provide year-round control with 1 or 2 application when followed in 7 – 10 days with a liquid residual application to kill the active foragers.
5. Newer baits that contain avermectin, which acts as both an insect growth regulator and slow-acting stomach poison, give good control without liquid application.
