The warm weather has not only lifted our spirits, but also has triggered a resurgence of fire ants. On lawns, along roadsides and in fields, these imported South American, short-tempered, six legged warriors are experiencing their spring reactivation. Imported fire ants first arrived at the port of Mobile, Alabama in the late 1930Õs. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, they made their way to Texas in 1957, where they have done extremely well in the better watered areas of the state.
If you ever get bored watching paint dry, or grass grow, stirring up a fire ant nest will provide a real thrill, especially if you happen to be standing on it! Occasionally, IÕve managed to be the target for fire ants, usually when IÕm thinking about something else instead of watching where IÕm walking. Never have I seen insects move as fast as they do. Apparently theyÕre racing each other to see who can climb my legs the fastest, stinging all the way! Fire ant (pronounced Òfar ainÕtÓ in East Texas) mounds vary greatly in size, but may be two feet or more in diameter and 18 inches to 20 inches high. The nest below can contain 150,000 to 200,000 ants. Mounds are usually granular looking piles of porous dirt with a crust on top and often look deserted. The next time you see a small one, carefully poke a stick into it and stir it just a bit. Then stand back! The crust will break and unless the temperature is cold, ants in a variety of sizes will come boiling out of the nest. Reddish brown and bent on revenge, theyÕll seethe out like a sea of brownish foam. YouÕll see mostly minor workers about an eighth of an inch long and major workers about a fourth of an inch in length. White objects like rice grains in the stirred up soil are larvae and pupae that will later develop into adults. Deeper down in the nest are several hundred winged males and egg laying queens.
Although fire ants have jaws and can bite, itÕs the stinger mounted on the end of their abdomen that packs the real punch. The sting produces immediate burning, fire-like pain - thus their name. Within 8-24 hours, a fluid filled bump called a pustule rises at the site and begins to itch like crazy. Scratching can break it open and the site may become infected or leave a scar. Within five days to a week, the itching subsides and the skin will become normal again. For most of us, the fire ant sting is just an annoyance, but highly reactive people should see a doctor immediately. Some people swell up from the sting, and a few highly sensitive victims become very ill, showing symptoms that include difficulty breathing.
Fire ant colonies begin with a single queen, but mature colonies ordinarily contain several queens. After mating in midair with winged males, queens lay eggs in a burrow they have made and 20-30 days later, workers begin to appear. The first ants that can reproduce appear in 5-12 months.
Food for fire ants includes living insects, spiders, earthworms, other small creatures and dead animals. Some say they also attack and kill newborn mammals, birds and reptiles and they seriously reduce the food available for some birds such as bobwhite quail. Even Texas horned lizards (them Òhorny toadsÓ) have been driven out of many areas by them. Horned lizards eat other ants, but apparently will not or cannot handle fire ants.
Fire ants are controlled to some extent by insecticides such as Amdro or Logic spread widely over an infested area. Individual nests should be treated using poison mixed with water to saturate the mound, letting it soak down into the nest. Granular poison bait is also used, that contains an attractant and an insecticide. Workers take the particles down into their nests and feed the queen this deadly harvest. However, high temperatures can inactivate poison baits, so it is best to use them during periods of cooler weather, especially during fall and spring.
Although most people see fire ants outside, they also get into buildings occasionally, seeking water, sweet things and meat. A spray insecticide containing pyrethroids works well indoors and is not particularly dangerous to people or pets.
So far, it seems the ants are winning the battle against them. However, entomologists are experimenting with parasitic flies that will attack fire ants by harassing them and laying eggs on them. The eggs hatch into ant eating larvae within the antÕs body and devour them from the inside out! WeÕll see who gets the last laugh!