Fire Ants

Fire Ant Behavior

The most common species of fire ant found in the US is the Red Imported Fire Ant (or RIFA, for short). The RIFA is particularly problematic because of their aggressive and social nature. If one stings a human or animal, it will release a pheromone that attracts hundreds of other ants, which will also sting the overwhelmed victim. Unlike other ant species, fire ants use their pincers to only grab a grip on the victim so that they can sting him/her. Similar to other ant colonies, fire ants are meticulous workers and can produce and expand a colony even if only queen ant and a few male/worker ants are remaining. Fire ants, especially RIFA’s, are resilient insects that will loyally defend their queen(s) and colony. RIFA’s are particularly outstanding in terms of endurance; they are constantly moving and building new colonies. In addition, RIFA’s also clump together in a balled-up mass with the queen(s) in the center to survive stormy or intense weather and relocate to a new area. While their determination is admirable and their amazing work ethic desirable, fire ants are definitely pests that a homeowner would prefer to admire from afar, miles away from any locations where the ants could cause havoc and injuries.

Fire Ant Control Methods

Thankfully, there are a myriad of different products available that will effectively kill or control fire ant colonies. For outdoor infestations, Pest Mall provides a variety of granules and ant baits that can be applied around fire ant mounds or outside ones home to prevent the ants from entering the home. For indoor problems, one can use a liquid insecticide, aerosol, dust, or gel bait/bait stations. Gel baits and bait stations have a delay kill effect and will allow the ants to carry the poison back to the colony so that it will infect several other ants with it. Therefore, it is imperative to not kill ants that have come in contact with the bait. Aerosols can be sprayed on walls, on furniture, and for spot treatment to kill ants instantly. Liquid insecticides can be applied as a perimeter treatment around a room or the entire structure to kill ants that pass through the chemical. Dust pesticides can be utilized for crack and crevice treatments to kill ants that are hidden behind walls. Since dusts are prone to drift and hazardous to human and animal health, they should not be applied anywhere where they can be inhaled.