Of all the pests in Florida, the Fire ant has one of the more descriptive names an animal’s ever received. If you’ve ever had one on your skin, it may seem like it’s their bite that causes the pain. Yet fire ants only bite to get a grip on your skin. What really hurts is the alkaloid venom they inject from their abdomen. The effect is a burning sensation. Once the venom’s in you, even getting the ant off your skin won’t stop its burn. Just one sting hurts and can stay with you for days, but if you’ve ever walked across a nest or found an infestation in your home, that fiery pain multiplies as more and more of the fire ants bite you.
Fire ants are the worst of many worlds. They’re hardy, able to withstand extremely low temperatures and floods. They’re aggressive and will fiercely defend a colony. They will even attack outside of it rather than scurrying away. Fire ants do fine in moist areas and even prefer to build their colonies in areas with moisture. Just like any species of ant, they’re also numerous. One queen produces up to 1,600 eggs per day and can lead to thousands of ants inside of a month. Worse yet, fire ants aren’t like most other ants: they boast several queens per colony. Fire ants multiply quickly and will spread their colonies everywhere once they’ve gotten a foothold in an area.
As if the pain wasn’t bad enough, their sting can be fatal. Their stings can cause an allergic reaction to their venom that results in anaphylaxis: a condition that includes rash, airway swelling, shortness of breath, vomiting, lightheadedness, and low blood pressure. What makes fire ants most dangerous is their tendency to swarm, delivering hundreds of venomous stings within the space of a few seconds. Children and pets are especially susceptible to this because of their smaller bodies, but adults aren’t completely safe either. The more stings, the more your body reacts and begins to swell and close your airways. Even trying to stamp fire ants out is a fool’s errand – they’ll quickly find a way up your shoes, socks, and legs.
Do not attempt to treat fire ant colonies on your own. Contact Slug-A-Bug. We guarantee our work and will treat fire ant problems in the manner that best keeps you and your family safe. The most important part of treating fire ants is having a long-term solution. Even one surviving queen can develop several more nests quickly. We use a granular insecticide called Topchoice that binds to the soil and refuses fire ants the ability to sustain their colony. It’s a selectively toxic solution, meaning Topchoice is harmful to insects, but safe for your children, your pets, and you. Call us today and ask about how we can safely deny fire ants from your property.