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Fast
Facts | Control Methods
| By the Numbers | Symptoms
and Care
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A: Fire ants entered the United
States in the late 1930s aboard cargo ships from tropical South
America. The Cargo ships arrived in Mobile, Alabama, and fire
ants immediately migrated throughout the United States.
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A: Fire ants have been reported as far north
as Delaware and as far west as California. They currently infest
15 of the nation's states including: Texas, Florida, Oklahoma,
Nevada, Alabama, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, New Mexico,
Tennessee, and Arizona. Fire ants thrive in warm weather and
in sunlight; however, they quickly are adapting to colder climates,
which means more states are facing infestation.
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A: Ants travel long distances by hiding in soil,
plants with roots, nursery stock, gravel, grass, sod, hay, wood,
or soil-moving equipment transported by motor vehicles. They
disperse locally during the mating process, floods, and mass
movement of colonies.
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A: Fire ants typically are ¼ inch long
and are reddish brown to black in color. They have two pairs
of wings, with shorter hind wings, elbowed antennae and a narrow
"waist" between the abdomen and thorax. Their aggressive
behavior and characteristic mound-shaped nests best distinguish
fire ants. Colonies consist of the brood (eggs, larvae, and
pupae) and several types of adults.
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A: Fire ants infest lawns, schoolyards, athletic
fields, golf courses, and parks. In these places, they pose
not only a medical threat to people and animals; they detract
from the aesthetic value of the landscape. Fire ants form colonies
close to homes and other buildings and occasionally feed on
vegetable plants in home gardens. The worst damage occurs during
hot, dry weather. Like other ants, fire ants frequently infest
electrical equipment. They chew on insulation and can cause
short circuits or interfere with switching mechanisms. Fire
ants also are known to invade compost piles and mulched flowerbeds
seeking warmth and moisture. Fire ants are a nuisance, can interfere
with outdoor activities, and harm wildlife.
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A : Fire ants build mounds in any type of soil,
but prefer open, sunny areas such as pastures, parks, lawns,
meadows, and cultivated fields. Mounds are 10 to 24 inches in
diameter and 18 inches high. They also may exceed six feet underground.
Often mounds are found in rotting logs and around stumps and
logs.
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A : An average colony contains 250,000 workers,
hundreds of reproductive males and reproductive females, and
one queen. In addition to single-queen colonies, many have multiple
queens, which increases the number of mounds per acre. Queen
ants can live seven years or more, while worker ants live approximately
five weeks. A newly mated queen can lay a dozen eggs. When they
hatch seven to 10 days later, the queen feeds the larvae. A
queen fed by worker ants can lay 800 eggs per day, which emerge
as adults nine to 15 days later.
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A : A fire ant's sting burns, blisters, and causes
nausea, vomiting, disorientation, dizziness, asthma, and shock.
In sensitive victims, the sting can cause anaphylactic shock
or even death.
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A : You need to be aware of your surroundings
at all times to avoid everything from car accidents to rattlesnake
bites. If fire ants do crawl onto the skin, they first bite
with their mandibles, the piercing mouthpart, in order to anchor
for the thrust of the sting. As soon as a pinching sensation
is felt, quickly sweeping the ants off before they actually
sting will help avoid most of the damage. If work must be done
in proximity to fire ants, wear rubber boots and gloves powdered
with talcum, which repels the insect.
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A : If you are stung by a fire ant, cautiously
watch for excessive swelling, itching or redness, or other symptoms
like shortness of breath, thickening of the tongue, or sweating,
indicating a systemic allergic reaction, which could be fatal.
If these symptoms appear, seek medical attention immediately.
Otherwise, treat stings like other insect bites by keeping them
clean and intact to avoid getting secondary infections. |
To find out how Over 'n Out!™ compares to other
methods, to see interesting statistics on fire ants or find out
what you should do if attacked, click the topics below.
Control Methods
| By the Numbers | Symptoms
and Care |
