Lakeland is booming as far as American cities go. The population is exploding, new construction is everywhere, and people are moving in droves. But you know what comes along with human explosions in population and construction? Pest booms! Humans are drivers of pest populations and you can really see that here with Lakeland fire ants and the problems they pose to homeowners. So, let’s get into the basics of ant control in central Florida so you don’t end up with a massive headache this summer!
Lakeland Fire Ants: Why are the bugs so bad in Central Florida?
Florida’s climate is the biggest driver of our pest issues. Look up north. Do you see Canada and hear stories about them struggling with bugs like us? No! That’s because they have prolonged winters and snowfalls. These low temperatures force bugs to go dormant or just straight out kill them. We don’t have much luck down here in the South!
Down in the Southlands, Summer lasts all year long. That, plus our sandy beaches, scrubby shrublands, woody forests, and damp swamps, are all great ecosystems and environments for these bugs to thrive. They take shelter in and eat the woody debris, and breed and find food in the water. And there was once a time when I was younger when it wasn’t uncommon to find frost on the ground in wintertime in Florida. However, those days are long gone- and bugs thrive 365 days a year now.
Human activity is also a large driver of bug activity in the Lakeland area. With so much acreage of forests and swamps being bulldozed, these displaced insects are desperate to find shelter. But for the human adjacent pests, they’re more interested in the parking lots, apartment complexes, and businesses that spring up where once was nature. People living in close quarters for biting prey and dumpsters and trash everywhere for more traditional pests see this booming economy as a great opportunity! But there are a few ways to keep these ants out of your home. So, let’s get into them now.
Lakeland Fire Ants: Can I keep ants out of my Florida home?
When it comes to ant prevention, you really want to reduce clutter in your home, access from the outside, and clean up very well inside. So, I’ll touch on some basic ant prevention tips now.
Exclusion is going to be your strongest weapon against Lakeland fire ants. These pests can be kept by taking the right measures, but with the quality of Florida home builds you’ll likely need to do some home repair yourself. For example, improperly installed doors or just plain old doors will likely have gaps or damage in the weather stripping. Utility pipes in most homes built after the 90s have gaps around them that could also use a bit of caulking. And consider creating an exclusion zone around your home by gardening away from your foundation and keeping grass and plants near the home short. It only takes one branch to be in contact with your outer walls for a tree or bush to become a superhighway to your kitchen and bathroom!
And once they get inside, ants will immediately look for sources of food and water. Leaky pipes are a must to fix. Spills are, obviously, to be cleaned up as soon as you drop them. And invest in a high-quality trash can with a locking lid. Few things spell doom more quickly in the Sunshine State than having an open trash can. Cockroaches, fire ants, you name it. They’ll come flocking to those big time.
Where do red ants come from?
Also known as Red Imported Fire ants, They were accidentally introduced to the United States in the 1930s, likely through soil used for ships’ ballast at the port of Mobile, Alabama. Since then, they have spread throughout the Southern United States, as well as parts of California and Puerto Rico.
Fire ants are small, aggressive ants that are coppery-reddish in color. They can range in size from 2–6 millimeters within a single nest, with reproductive ants being larger and workers being smaller. Fire ants also have two nodes on their thorax, which distinguishes them from other Lakeland Fire Ants species.
What to do if fire ants get into my home?
If fire ants are in the home, it’s important to figure out where they’re coming from. Fire ants are a particularly dangerous pest to have indoors. If you have a baby or a small child, enough of them attacking at once could possibly kill them. So you need to be proactive and make sure that the infestation isn’t actually in the house. But if it is, you need to find help ASAP. Make sure to keep your home clean and tidy, and be fastidious and careful about where you eat. You need to keep their numbers down.
Because of their aggressive nature and their painful stings, Lakeland fire ants are not something you should try to tackle on your own. Instead, contact us at Earth’s Best pest control and let us show you why we’ve been serving the central Florida area for thirty years! We use natural pesticides that are less dangerous than chemical controls.
