Fire ants are notorious pests, known for their aggressive nature and burning, painful stings. For you and your family’s safety, is important to know these essential facts about fire ants:
Fire ants are invasive.
They are native to Brazil and Argentina and were introduced to the United States in the early to mid-1900s. This makes fire ants a relatively new problem for US homeowners to deal with when compared to other pests.
Mounds can be found anywhere.
While fire ants prefer to create their home mounds in sunny, wide-open areas, they will also nest under rotting logs, rocks, bricks, and houses for shelter. They dig deep, and their tunnels can extend 1 to 3 feet below the surface of the soil.
Colonies can have multiple queens.
Fire ant colonies can have anywhere from one queen to a small group of queens. The more queens present in a colony, the more worker ants can be produced. So long as a single queen survives, the colony will continue to reproduce and grow.
Fire ants reproduce quickly and live longer than you think.
A single queen can lay up to 1,000 eggs per day. While each worker fire ant may only live for 5 to 8 weeks, the queen will live up to 7 years. She will continuously produce more ants over her entire lifespan.
Fire ants are more than a nuisance; they are a dangerous pest to have in or near your home. If you have questions about fire ants or suspect an infestation, please contact us today.
