The name Solenopsis invicta sounds poetic, but it’s really the Latin name for the red imported fire ant, commonly known as fire ants. The pest, a native of South America, was accidentally introduced to the United States in the 1930s via a cargo ship arriving at Mobile, Alabama which had a slew of fire ant stowaways.

Fire ants can hurt and even kill animals and people

Since then, fire ants have spread throughout the southeastern United States, becoming a pest throughout the area. Unlike most ants, which are harmless to animals and humans, fire ants are very aggressive, and have a stinging bite that can cause an allergic reaction – with welts and pustules. The bug’s bite can do more than be painful – it can cause serious injury or even death! Some people who are allergic to fire ants have to carry around an epinephrine auto injector to be used in case they get bitten and go into shock.

Fire ants are a serious problem – they are extremely resilient, hard to eradicate, and have the ability to reproduce quickly. One fire ant colony can contain as many as 250,000 ants! 

They also have ways to avoid being killed. If fire ants ever face the danger of drowning, the bugs will join together and form a fire ant “raft” to stay afloat, hanging onto each other to stay alive.

The insects also can do severe damage to lawns. Not only are their colonies unsightly, and dangerous -– if you accidentally step near it, you could be bitten dozens or even hundreds of times – the fire ants can cause plant, shrub and lawn damage. So you want to get rid of them as soon as possible.

What to do to stop fire ants

When trying to stop fire ants before they cause serious lawn damage, you do not have to necessarily contact a pest control company. Lawn Doctor is also experienced in treating the pests and eradicating them from your yard. Just one treatment may do the trick to give the fire ants their walking papers, and give you peace of mind when it comes to enjoying your lawn.