Freaked Out By Fire Ants? We’ve Got You Covered

As a Weston lawn service, we get a lot of pest control questions. One big area of concern: fire ants. The first question we hear is “Are there fire ants in Massachusetts?”  The answer to this question is yes – although not necessarily the way you think.

You see, there are fire ants, and then there are fire ants. Here in the Northeast, we have the European Red Ant, which is also known as the Northern Fire Ant. As far as the scientists can determine, European Red Ants came to North America roughly around 1910. They’ve made themselves very comfortable, without being much of a concern until 2010. It was at that point the species first made itself known in Cambridge, and by now, we do a lot of pest management for fire ants in Massachusetts.

Fire ants nest in very large colonies. And fire ants are not at all like bees – they can have multiple queens. In fact, a single fire ant colony can have 600 queens and 20,000 worker ants. These colonies are most often located in shaded, woody areas, particularly those that are high in humidity. In the Weston area that means fire ants are building their nests in people’s flower gardens. Other popular spots? Around bushes and shrubberies, as well as in your outdoor potted plants or container gardens.

You can see why the fire ants’ favorite nesting locations are a problem for most homeowners. Just imagine weeding the begonias, only to find out the hard way that you’ve disturbed a fire ant nest. The stings are extremely painful, and some people may experience significant, potentially life-threatening allergic reactions, so it’s absolutely essential to get fire ant infestations off of your property.

You can try DIY fire ant control, but if you’re determined to get the problem fixed quickly, call in the professional lawn care company in Cambridge MA. Pest control should be pain free!