If you have seen large, sandy mounds on your property or felt the painful stings of fire ants while walking around your yard, you are certainly not alone. Fire ants are among the most common and persistent ant species in Florida and Georgia, and they are able to create huge colonies very quickly. The climate in the Southeast helps fire ants thrive, and you need a clear plan to get rid of them quickly.
Key Takeaways
- Fire ants thrive year-round in Florida and Georgia because of the warm climate, sandy soil, and abundant food sources.
- Their aggressive ant stings and rapid colony growth make them a serious risk to people, pets, and property.
- Lasting control usually requires a combination of mound treatments, area-wide applications, and professional pest services.
Why Fire Ants Are a Problem in the Southeast
There are several reasons why fire ants are such a big problem in the Southeast, but the main ones are climate and a plentiful food supply. The sandy soil also makes it easy for these ants to create nests with intricate tunnel systems that go deep into the ground.
- Climate and Environment: The warm weather in Georgia and Florida make it easy for fire ants to thrive all year round. The heat and humidity provide a comfortable environments for this type of ant, and the climate supports insect activity and plant growth, providing ants with a constant food supply. Fire ants in the Southeast also benefit from not going through seasonal die-offs or hibernation cycles related to the extreme cold.
- Aggressive Behavior: Fire ants are extremely aggressive, making them especially problematic compared to other species of ants. Hundreds of them can sting at once when mounds are disturbed, and these ants can also bite humans before injecting formic acid which can cause painful pustules, allergic reactions, and infections. Pets and livestock are especially at risk of swarming activity when they step on fire ant mounds, often suffering multiple ant bites and stings in just seconds.
- Rapid Reproduction: Each fire ant queen can lay hundreds of eggs every day, and an active colony can house several queens at once. This rapid reproduction helps fire ants continually spread across an affected area, quickly creating very large colonies. In addition to their fast reproductive rates, fire ants can also separate their colonies to form new ones when threatened.
How to Spot a Fire Ant Infestation
Sign | What It Looks Like | What It Means |
Mounds | Dome-shaped piles of loose soil, often 1–2 feet across | Active colony beneath surface, often with thousands of ants |
Trails | Lines of ants traveling to food or water sources | Colony is foraging aggressively and nearby nest is established |
Stings | Painful, burning sensation with itchy pustules at the sting site | Direct interaction with fire ants; high population density nearby |
Damage | Roots, seedlings, and electrical wiring chewed | Infestation is affecting property, landscaping, or utilities |
How to Get Rid of Fire Ants in Florida and Georgia
Step One: Reduce Attractants
For the most part, fire ants in Florida and Georgia sustain themselves with food they find in their environment. However, any food sources humans provide make it even easier for them to thrive and expand their colonies. So, anything you can do to reduce their food supply will make it easier to get rid of fire ants in Florida and prevent fire ants from becoming a recurring problem.
Securing trash bins is a good place to start. These can provide a constant source of food for nearby colonies and they can easily provide ants with everything they need for colony expansion. If you have trash bins anywhere near a fire ant mound be sure that you are using tight fitting lids on your bins and that the trash kept inside of them is secured in heavy plastic bags that are tied off at the top. It’s also a good idea to regularly clean the trash area to reduce. Spills and other food items that may be contaminating the area.
Fire ants also depend on pet food. If you keep food outdoors for your pets, make sure that feeding areas are regularly cleaned, and pet food storage areas are properly sealed. As is the case with trash bins, access to pet food gives fire ants all the nutrients they need to expand their colonies very quickly.
You also want to make sure that water sources are minimized as much as possible. Like all other living things, ants need water to survive. However, the amount of water they need is surprisingly small. They can find enough water to sustain themselves just about everywhere, but if you can reduce excess water in gutters, plant pots, and pet watering stations as much as possible you can make it more difficult for them to find what they need.
Step Two (a): Target the Mounds
Once you’ve dealt with potential food and water sources that the colony may depend on, it’s time to turn your attention to the mounds themselves. Mound treatments can take care of fire ant problems on a surface level and offer you some short-term relief, but it is only the first step in solving a fire infestation. If you’re looking for more specific advice on how to eliminate fire ants, this step can help you eliminate the visible mounds and provide a starting point for managing the infestation.
One of the most common ways to treat mounds is to pour boiling water over the top of them. In most cases, however, this method has very limited effectiveness as it only kills the ants that the hot water is able to reach. It also rarely kills a fire ant queen, much less several of them that are located in different places.
Another popular method is to apply bait granules containing insect growth regulators or slow-working toxins. Workers ingest these baits and carry them back to their nests where they spread the treatments to other members of the colony and the queen. The bait granule approach yields much slower results, but it is generally much more effective at colony elimination than boiling water.
Step Two (b): Broadcast Treatments
Because of the tendency for fire ants to spread out over large areas, it is important to see the entire area as a potential fire ant habitat – not just the areas where the mounds are located. There can easily be colony access points, satellite nests, and tunnels that are not accompanied by mounds, making them difficult to see. To address this, broadcast treatments are usually used.
To apply broadcast treatments, apply Bates or insecticides evenly across infested areas. This can help you target all of those unseen colony access points, and create more chances for ants to find the treatments and carry them back into their nests. Broadcast treatments aren’t usually used as a replacement for direct mound treatments, but as an additional layer of defense.
Step Three: Seal Entry Points and Monitor
Once all of the ants have been eliminated, it is recommended to seal entry points and backfill tunnels where possible.
Start by inspecting around foundations, patios, and walls for cracks in the soil or signs of ant activity. When you find areas that could be used by the ants as access points to a nest, backfill or repair any openings that you find to seal the area and restrict access.
If the fire ants on your property are part of a larger, extended colony that stretches beyond the borders of your property, the likelihood that ants will try to come back is quite high. You’ll want to monitor for ant activity on an ongoing basis. One thing that can help is the use of bait stations as they offer treatment and evidence of ant activity.
When to Call Professionals
Among all the ant species of ants common in Florida and Georgia, fire ants are among the most difficult species to get rid. Some people with the right approach and enough experience might be able to effectively eliminate the fire ants on their property, most who try end up with frustrating results.
Here are some of the main reasons to consider hiring a professional for fire ant control rather than attempting a DIY approach.
Persistent Infestations
Most DIY ant control methods center around quick fixes that require little to no expertise to apply. Unfortunately, most of them only target a portion of the ant population, leaving the queen, larvae, and nest intact.
Professionals go beyond simply applying a treatment. They use an integrated pest management approach to target all the different risk factors surrounding the fire ant infestation. It usually does not take long for a pro to completely disrupt the colony cycle, leading to an ant-free property.
Large-Scale Problems
Professionals are also experienced in dealing with the large-scale problems that an extensive fire ant population can create.
Whether that means school or playground infestations, property damage, or even agricultural property issues, a licensed pest control company has the equipment and necessary permits to take care of the problem you are dealing with quickly and decisively.
Health and Safety Risks
A fire ant bite or sting can pose significant medical risks and their allergic reactions can sometimes be life threatening. Fire ants are very aggressive, and they will swarm anyone disturbing their nest or mound, delivering painful bites and stings all over the legs, hands, and body.
Disturbing fire ant nests not only puts the person applying treatment into direct conflict with the ants, but also anyone nearby. If there are pets, children, or elderly present, the risks are even greater. Severe symptoms of ant bites can appear within 24 hours, and in rare cases, victims may need to visit an emergency room. Hiring a professional keeps you out of harm’s way.
Hiring a professional to take care of your fire problem for you keeps you out of harms way.
Professional Advantage
What are the most obvious benefits that come with hiring a professional is that the licenses held by registered pest control companies allow them to use more effective treatments and equipment.
Not only do the treatments work much faster and last much longer, but the equipment used helps reach areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. This means that a professional pest control company can work faster and get better results, allowing you to enjoy an ant-free yard.
Another advantage to hiring a professional is that results are guaranteed. While chances are always high that all of the fire ants will be eliminated on the first attempt, they can return. If and when they do, a pest control company with a service guarantee (Like Nextgen Pest Solutions) will return to solve the problem at no additional charge.
People living in high-risk areas across the United States can also benefit from ongoing protection plans offered by reputable pest control companies. You can set up a schedule of inspections throughout the year to check for ants and other types of pests, or you can go ahead and get a long-term service package that includes regular inspections and treatments, guaranteeing that your property remains pest free for the long-term.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do fire ants damage plants or landscaping?
Yes. Fire ants are known for damaging plants and landscaping. They chew through roots and stems, and their large mounds can easily suffocate nearby plants.
Can fire ants harm electrical equipment?
Yes. Fire ants are actually attracted to electricity and will infest circuit boxes, AC units and other similar things. The damage they cause is often quite costly.
What should I do if my pet is attacked by fire ants?
The best thing to do is brush them off, gently wash the affected area, and monitor for signs of a more serious reaction to the ant bites and stings.
How long do fire ant colonies live?
Without human intervention, fire ant colonies can last many years, reaching populations of hundreds of thousands.
What are ants that bite in Georgia?
The main biting ant to be aware of in Georgia is the Asian needle ant, an invasive species known for its painful sting that can cause a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) in some people. Fire ants are another common stinging ant in the region.
