If you’ve lived in the Southeastern U.S., you’ve probably had an ant problem at least once in your life. Even if they weren’t exactly inside, there was a mound or two outside. And that goes double if you live in Florida. But honestly, these days there’s one species of ant that rises above the rest in terms of being a problem that needs to be dealt with swiftly. And that species is the Dover fire ants. Today we’ll talk about fire ants, their history in the U.S., and some methods of control for you to use.
Dover Fire Ants: Overview
This may surprise most people reading, but fire ants aren’t actually native to the United States. The Dover fire ants you see today were brought into the country sometime in the 1930s, likely hitching a ride aboard a cargo ship. And back home in their native Brazil, these ants not only have to compete with parasites, predators, and the extreme environment of the rainforest. No sir, they also had to contend with other ants: be they a rival fire ant colony or one of the dozens of species that constantly fight for dominance. That means that over the timeline of their existence these ants evolved into hardy, violent survivalists that will ruthlessly attack anything that threatens them.
Consequently, they have it easy over here. Fire ants have few if any natural predators in North America. But even those aren’t good checks. A large enough colony of ants can swarm and overwhelm most of what you’ll find on the U.S. mainland. And their mounds are massive. They can be 60 centimeters in diameter and almost that tall. And they’ll build these mounds anywhere. That’s why the Dover fire ants are such a nuisance. It’s not uncommon to find numerous mounds in grazing pastures that will attack any cattle unlucky enough to stumble into one. Not only that, but they’ll actually infest farm equipment.
Their sting is nothing short of painful as well. Their bite is compared to being touched by a lit match, hence the name. Some people can even be allergic and bites to them can be life threatening. These pests will not hesitate to attack you, your pets, or your livestock. They’ve even been known to injure and kill dogs and cats if the owners aren’t aware that they’ve stumbled into a mound.
Identifying Fire Ants
Honestly, if you saw a fire ant at a glance they look like any other ant. Their stingers aren’t really visible from the distance most people view ants. They do have a dull red body coloration, which is on the darker side of reddish brown to reddish black. The easiest way to identify them is from their mounds. They build them in sunny, open areas. Usually dome shaped, fire ants take shelter in them during the hottest parts of the day. They also dislike darkness and shade. That’s why you’ll see fire ants in open fields and lawns, while not so much in forests. Undisturbed mounds allow the colony to rapidly multiply.
And as I mentioned above, their anatomy is similar to that of most ants. They have a hard exoskeleton and six legs. The workers have round heads with large mandibles, which is usually copper or brown colored.
Why do their bites hurt so badly?
The biggest reason you want to quickly deal with a fire ant problem is their sting. Not only is it extremely painful, but as I mentioned above it can even be lethal to someone who’s allergic. The reason that their stings are so much more painful than the bites of other ants is venom. The fire ant grabs it’s target first with its mandibles. Then they proceed to sting until they die, or whatever they’re stinging dies. They can even swivel their body around, leaving a semi-circle of painful stings.
Symptoms of fire ant sting reactions can be fatal. Fire ant bites can cause severe swelling. In fact, hand or foot bites can become so swollen that they cross the wrist or ankle joint. You may need steroids to reduce the swelling in this situation. The main symptoms of a fatal sting are hives and trouble breathing and swallowing. These symptoms can start within two hours of the sting.
In infested areas, fire ants sting much more frequently than bees or even wasps or yellow jackets. In fact, over fifty percent of people in the Southeastern U.S. suffer a fire ant sting a year. These stings also tend to swell and form a pimple. But, this is normal and doesn’t usually mean that they’re infected. Thankfully, most fire ant stings don’t become infected.
Dove Fire Ants: Control
In all honesty, there are few ways for a layman to control a spreading population of fire ants. You can certainly try your own poisons, baits, and other methods that are chemically risky. But understand that these sorts of products aren’t just a threat to the ants, but also any pets or animals you have on your property. If you do use poisons, soaks, or other chemical controls on your own please use caution. Other than that, removing and reducing attractants is important. Dover fire ants are drawn to a number of food and moisture sources. These can include open dog food containers, water bowls, leaky hoses, or simply spills left uncleaned.
And while they rarely do move inside, a home infestation is a legitimate threat to your safety. Check around your property and make sure you seal any gaps around doors and windows. And another tip that’s far more than just fire ants, absolutely make sure to seal and close any gaps on the outside of your home that can lead into areas such as the inside of the walls or attics. Those are places where infestations can fester slowly and go unnoticed until you have a much bigger problem than you would have if you kept up on maintenance.
Honestly, the best thing you can do for a fire ant situation is to call a pro.
