Though tiny, fire ants can deliver a painful sting—particularly when you consider the fact that these pests tend to attack in large numbers. If you are perceived as a threat to a fire ant colony, you could face the wrath of their army. Considering the fact that colonies may contain as many as 100,000 to 500,000 ants, this is a frightening prospect!
Whether you’ve had a fire ant problem in the past or you’re just looking to understand how you can avoid one, you might be seeking some information on these pests. That’s why we’ve rounded up some important fire ant facts as well as some details on fire ant control.
Because fire ants are so prevalent in our area, it’s likely that you’ve seen them (or at least one of their colonies) before. You might have even had the unpleasant experience of seeing a colony built in your backyard. Fire ants build mounds for their colonies and if left undisturbed (such as in an open field), have been known to reach as high as 18 inches tall.
Unfortunately, fire ants are rampant in our region because they love the warm climate. In general, fire ants tend to avoid shady areas such as the woods. If you have a sunny lawn, they may decide to build their homes.
Although fire ant mounds are often recognizable, they are sometimes on the flatter side and can be hidden within your grass. This can be scary as stepping on a fire ant mound is one of the worst ways for you (or a family member or pet) to get stung. As mentioned, when fire ants feel threatened, they attack in large numbers.
A fire ant sting is painful and solicits a burning feeling. Fire ant stings can cause red bumps and white pustules. In some cases, when people are allergic to fire ants, it can cause a much more severe reaction. If you experience sweating, nausea, excessive itching, or difficulty breathing, you should seek medical treatment immediately.
Some people are surprised to learn that fire ants are omnivores, meaning they will feed on both animal and vegetable food sources. While the typical fire ant’s diet consists of outdoor pests like spiders and earthworms they will also forage for plant material like seeds.
But like most ants, fire ants are opportunistic feeders and will eat just about anything they can find. This includes crumbs left out from that outdoor meal you enjoyed—or maybe even some of your pet’s meal if you feed your dog outside.
Be aware that leaving food outside can become a serious attraction for fire ants.
It’s not uncommon for people to take fire ant control into their own hands. Sometimes this involves homemade remedies but many of these don’t work and some can be dangerous. You’ve probably heard stories of folks who have tried to use propane torches to burn mounds. But as you can imagine, this approach has gone scarily wrong in some cases.
They do sell fire ant control products at big box stores and while these can be mildly to moderately effective, a lot of homeowners don’t even want to go near a fire ant mound and we can’t blame them. Plus, when you are dealing with something as potentially harmful as a fire ant, wouldn’t you rather just have a professional-grade product that you know will work?
That leads us to our final point, that fire ant control is truly best when left in a professional’s hands. It’s going to be safer and more effective.
At Grassperson, you must have a license to apply the control product that we utilize which tells you that it’s going to be more effective than something you could buy in the store. Better product applied by a trained professional is going to add up to better (and faster) results.
Here are a few facts about our fire ant control program.
If fire ants have you stressed out, you should know it doesn’t have to be that way. There are solutions out there.
That’s important when it comes to your peace of mind.
After all, nobody can truly enjoy their time outside when they’re constantly wondering what’s lurking in the grass. But with the right approach to fire ant control, you can ensure these unwanted pests are taken care of before ever having the chance to sting you or a family member.
Ready to stop worrying about fire ants at your Flower Mound, Highland Village, or Lewisville, TX home? Get a free quote and get ready to have the best lawn on the block without the worries.
Image sources: fire ant colony, fire ant mound, fire ants on plant
