There are a wide variety of ants in our environment, many of which are perfectly harmless. However, certain species can present quite the problem. They take the pest quality, and amplify it. Certain types of ants can be a total nightmare. Not only are they insistent…invading in a rather large number. . . but they are also rather aggressive. One such ant is the fire ant. This pesky red ant is a big problem for most. Its aggressive nature and its ability to inflict a rather excruciating pain make it a rather horrible pest, indeed.
When you hear the term “fire ant”, you instantly assume that it refers to one type of ant, alone. This is not the case. The name fire ant, in reality, is a name that identifies over three hundred different types of ants, which can be found in almost every region of the world. Originally only found in South America, the fire ant was brought into North America in the 1930’s. They were brought over on a cargo ship.
Fire can ants present a huge problem, both aesthetically as well as medically. They create ant hills in your yard, mounding up dirt which will destroys the aesthetic appeal of your lawn. A single colony of fire ants can produce numerous ant-hills. Furthermore, each queen has the ability to reproduce at an alarming rate laying up to 1,500 eggs a day for up to 7 years. When the eggs hatch and the ants reach maturity, they break away and form a new colony. This means that for each day fire ants are not under control, they are busy creating a super colony, which will magnify the problem.
Furthermore, fire ants are aggressive pests. They will bite any creature that disturbs the hill, whether it be a beloved pet or even you. Once bitten, pain begins as a burning sensation and it leads to swelling. And, while most bites will heal on their own with no complications, risk can range from infection at the site of the wound to death, often resulting from anaphylactic reaction.
We are here to help. Should you find that you have a fire ant problem, give us a call! We will start by identifying the ant species, which will help us decide how best treat for them. We will then attempt to treat the main nest, which will result in complete removal of the colony. And we can help you discover how you can go about preventing future fire ant problems. Contact us today! It’s time to get rid of fire ants, once and for all.