Red imported fire ants are a
non-native species that originate from South America. They were accidentally introduced in Mobile,
AL in the 1930’s. Ships used soil as
ballast as a method of stabilization, and it’s thought that fire ants were
unknowingly in ballast removed from South American ships. From Mobile, fire ants spread in the southern
U.S., entering Texas in the 1950’s.
Fire ants bite and sting and can
sting multiple times. The stinger,
located on the tip of the abdomen, injects venom that can cause pain, burning
and/ or redness. The sting area develops into a small pustule within a few
days. The pustule may itch and is
sterile, unless it is broken open by scratching, which then may lead to secondary
infection. Some people may develop an allergic reaction to fire ant stings/
venom. Allergic reactions can vary in severity with some causing life-threatening
anaphylaxis. If you have concerns over non-typical reactions after being stung
by fire ants, seek medical attention.
Ways to manage fire ants can be broken
into two basic categories- broadcast treatments and individual mound
treatments. Individual mound treatments
treat one mound at a time and are labor intensive, requiring you to search and
find every fire ant mound for treatment and can result in more pesticide being applied
to the environment. Broadcast treatments
spread product (granular or bait) over a large area using specialized equipment.
With any pesticide treatment, read and follow all label instructions. Make sure to water in the pesticide if the
label instructs you to do so.
Failure to water in chemicals when recommended by the label does an
inadequate job of killing the ants.
Baits should not be watered in or used before a rainfall event; baits
will not be picked up by ants if they get wet.
Posts
