Both Native and Imported red fire ants can sting
The Imported Fire ants are very aggressive,
their sting can cause reactions anywhere
from an irritation and nausea to even more severe reactions in humans.
Red fire ants have been known to repeatedly
attack animals that may intrude on their nests.
The red imported fire ant
is particularly aggressive.
They are known to attack people, plants, and animals,
as well as cause damage to homes, buildings,
and air-conditioning units,telephone wires.
There are two kinds of red imported fire ants;
the single queen and multiple queen forms.
Workers in single queen colonies are territorial, foraging within
their territory.
Workers from multiple queen colonies are not territorial, they freely
move from one mound to another, which has resulted in a dramatic increase
in the number of mounds per acre.
Areas infested with single queen
colonies contain 40 to 150 mounds per acre (rarely more than 7 million
ants per acre).
In areas with multiple queen colonies, there may be 200 or more mounds
and
40 million red fire ants per acre.
The red imported fire ant builds mounds in almost any type of soil,
but prefers open, sunny areas such as pastures, parks, lawns, meadows
and cultivated fields.
Mounds can reach 18 inches in height, depending on the type of soil.
Many times mounds are located in rotting logs and around stumps and
trees.
The mound has no opening in the center like most
ant mounds. Red imported fire ants leave and enter the mound housing
the colony through underground tunnels
Colonies also can occur in or under buildings.
When their mounds
are disturbed, their workers will come out of the ground and sting
the intruder
very aggressively.
The red imported
fire ant can have huge colonies with 300-500,000 workers
foraging at distances
of 100 yards.
Their usual activity is from the spring time through the fall months.
During the spring and summer months, the active mounds will send out
winged swarmer ants
;whose sole job is start new colonies.
Sometimes the red imported fire ant will nest inside during
the winter months under the bathtubs (when on a slab), or next to hot
water heater. The southern fire ant will usually nest in loose soil,
but at times they can be found in woodwork or masonry. Their nest may
be seen as large crevices in the ground that spread out from 2-4 feet.
Their nest can be found
under houses, under boards or stones, or in cracks in the concrete.
Colonies frequently migrate from one site to another.
The queen needs only a few workers to start a new colony.
; They can develop a new mound several hundred feed away
from their previous location almost overnight.
Flooding causes colonies to leave their mounds and float until
they can reach
land to establish a new mound.
Colonies also can migrate to indoor locations
Identification : Imported fire ant
(Courtesy of the National Pest Control Association.)
Imported fire ants have the the following characteristics:
-
Mounds of loose soil, resembling gopher diggings,
are found above ground.
-
Red fire ant mounds are generally numerous and easily sighted.
-
Worker fire ants are dark, small, highly variable in size,
aggressive, and sting relentlessly.
-
Workers have the same body proportions from the tiniest to the largest.
Head width never exceeds the abdomen width,
even in the largest workers.
Fire Ant Reproduction
Total time from egg to adult averages 30 days,workers live up to 180 days,
and queens live two to six years.
Red Fire Ant and Diet
The imported fire ant will not only forage for food, such as small
insects dead animals, and sweet materials such as plant secretions but will
kill insects and small animals to feed .
The southern fire ant go for a variety
of foods including protein, greases and sweet foods.
How To Get Rid of Fire Ants
1.
*We recommend an excellent fire ant bait called
: MaxForce
Fire Ant Bait.
It is effectively killing the fire ant population
within 72 hours.
Click Here: MaxForce
Fire Ant Bait to order
2.
Maxforce Complete Granular Bait. The Maxforce Complete Ant Bait is another to choose from if you have a wide variety of ants. However the number one choice for fire ant control would be the Maxforce Fire Ant Bait
3.
Surrender Acephate /Acephate
75 SP
One (1) pound container of Surrender Fire Ant Killer can treat up to 108 fire ant mounds Surrender Fire Ant Killer is an agricultural and fire ant insecticide. Surrender Fire Ant Killer (Acephate 75%) works great killing fire ants.
-
These ant baits would allow the foraging ants to feed the queens
,
thereby killing the source of the problem. You will want to
sprinkle this bait around the mound,
instead of directly on top of the mound.
-
These red fire ant baits are preferred over Amdro, because birds won't eat it.
-
Apply ant baits on a fairly sunny day, when there is a good amount
of activity around the mound,
so that the ants can begin to forage for the bait.
-
On extremely hot and rainy days do not put out the bait,
in that there is not as much activity to begin to source the
bait.
-
Excessive rain will take out the bait.
- You can use:
Ant Bait Insect Plates to put the granulated ant bait inside to keep it dry and making
it
difficult for children and pets to get into.
Using insecticides for Fire Ant Control:
When using a liquid insecticide as a drenching insecticide the goal would
be again
to kill the queen. The most effective way would be to use a
rod to form vertical
tunnels to facilitate the liquid mixture to reach the queens.
We recommended Conquer Insecticide as a drenching insecticide
for fire ants since the low vapor pressure forms a lot of fumes
making the red fire ants die easily.
You would use several gallons for large colonies or 1/2 gallon
to two gallons on smaller
colonies.
Conquer Insecticide-Info
Bifen IT
Drenching the mound ensures red fire ant killer.
Feel free to call if you have further questions that we may
answer.
