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 \u201cAre there fire ants in Massachusetts?\u201d \u00a0The answer to this question is yes \u2013 although not necessarily the way you think.<\/p>\n
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\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n
Fire ants nest in very large colonies. And fire ants are not at all like bees \u2013 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\u2019s flower gardens. Other popular spots? Around bushes and shrubberies, as well as in your outdoor potted plants or container gardens.<\/p>\n
You can see why the fire ants\u2019 favorite nesting locations are a problem for most homeowners. Just imagine weeding the begonias, only to find out the hard way that you\u2019ve disturbed a fire ant nest. The stings are extremely painful, and some people may experience significant, potentially life-threatening allergic reactions, so it\u2019s absolutely essential to get fire ant infestations off of your property.<\/p>\n