Serving Memphis, Cordova, Germantown & Collierville TN
A recent tragedy in Atlanta reiterated the dangers of fire ants. Action News 5 reported in early April on a family whose young daughter died of an allergic reaction after being bitten by fire ants. With the warm weather of summer now on the way, fire ants are going to become more active. That is why, today on the blog, your pest control professionals in Memphis wanted to provide this guide to fire ant prevention.
Get the facts on fire ants
Fire ants are identified by their reddish-brown head and thorax. The rear segment of their body is usually black but can vary in color. Workers in a fire ant colony can vary in size but they all can bite and have a stinger than can inject venom. Fire ant colonies can be detected by their telltale mounds, which are built into the ground, usually in sunny locations such as lawns, fields, pastures or near driveways and sidewalks. Using this mound as a home base, fire ants create elaborate systems of tunnels under the ground that can run up to 25 feet away from a mound. The population of a fire ant colony averages about 80,000 workers but a large colony could have up to a quarter of a million worker ants.
Fire ants are dangerous for their venomous sting, which can leave painful, itchy, red bumps or welts. The problem with fire ants comes because, in most incidents, someone is stung multiple times by many ants when their mound becomes disturbed and they respond to protect their territory. This can lead to severe physical reactions: nausea, excessive sweating or shortness of breath. There is also a slight risk of an anaphylactic reaction, as mentioned in the news article earlier in this blog.
Preventing fire ants
While fire ants build their mounds outside, they can venture into homes and buildings in search of food and water. Like other species of ant, fire ants can infiltrate through even very small cracks in doors, windows or the foundation of a structure. Fire ants also may enter through HVAC units, especially if they become displaced after a storm or heavy rain.
Make sure to keep door frames and window frames properly sealed. You also want to eliminate areas of standing water near your home or business, and keep trash adequately sealed. Be wary of any mounds of dirt you encounter while working in your yard and keep your pets away from any such mounds.
If you see evidence of a fire ant infestation, you never want to try and deal with this problem yourself. Instead, you should seek the services of a qualified and experienced pest control company like the team at AAA Termite & Pest. We will come to your property and determine the approximate size and age of the fire ant colony, then determine the best solution to remove the colony. We also can employ preventive treatments to help deter fire ants from entering your home.
To learn more about our treatment methods for fire ants or any other type of pest, contact AAA Termite and Pest today to schedule a complimentary estimate with one of the pest control technicians on our team. Just call (901) 737-7378 or complete our contact form online.