Fire Ants Chapter 5 Section II – General Pest Control Basics of the Pest Bear & Affiliates Service Personnel Development Program , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

General Information Fire ants are a primitive ant Primitive ants contain venom and have stingers or inject the venom while biting Most primitive ants have a proteinaceous venom which is similar to bees and wasps Most ants introduce the venom while chewing Most ant venom is formic acid secreted from a gland in the mouth Fire ants have an alkaloid venom which is very unique in animals Fire ants inject the venom with a stinger , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Imported fire ants are reddish brown and 3-6 mm long. They build large mounds in open, sunny areas and can forage indoors. Workers can sting, commonly causing a white pustule to form. They have two nodes on the petiole. Workers are polymorphic and the colonies are usually monogyne but sometimes are polygyne , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Imported fire ants were indigenous to Brazil and has spread throughout the southeastern United States They inhabit almost any type of land except swampy areas and dense forests They construct large earthen mounds which interfere with cultivating and harvesting operations Imported fire ants sting over one million people a year in the southeastern states , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved Imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta

Imported fire ants feed on plant materials as well as small animals and insects They attack fruit plants such as okra and egg plant, they cause serious damage to young trees by girdling the stem and removing the bark, and they can be particularly damaging to citrus nursery stock Imported fire ants are a menace to wildlife eggs and young offspring of ground nesting birds , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved Imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta

Biology of Imported Fire Ants The most dangerous of the fire ants Live in large colonies Produce alates (winged adults) year round but are most abundant in spring A large colony may have 4,000 winged males and females , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Biology of Imported Fire Ants Mating swarms occur on warm days during most months of the year Peak worker production occurs in May and October An average mound may contain between 30,000 to 100,000 workers Workers make up about 70-75% or the colony , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Imported fire ant colonies As many as 1,000 colonies per acre has been observed Under normal conditions colonies per acre is characteristic Each mound is usually in diameter Giant mounds (1-3 feet high and 5-8 feet in diameter) occur when numerous colonies move together during adverse soil conditions , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Imported fire ant colonies Normally there is little or no movement or communications between colonies Colonies are very territorial Bait used to kill a specific colony will have no effect on other colonies because the territories are respected by the colonies , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Little fire ant, Wasmania auropunctata Little fire ants are golden brown and 1-2 mm long. They net under logs and debris. They can inflict a painful sting. They have two nodes on the petiole. Their head is covered with grooves. The workers are monomorphic and the colonies are polygyne , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Native fire ant, Solenopsis geminata Native fire ants are reddish-brown to black and 3-6 mm long. They build irregular, crater-shaped mounds in sunny areas. Workers can sting, but no white pustule forms. They can inflict a painful sting when disturbed. They have two nodes on the petiole. The workers are polymorphic, and the colonies are monogyne or polygyne , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Fire Ant Control Fire ants are extremely difficult to control and no control method will permanently eliminate fire ants from an area. –This is due to the large number of nests which are constantly producing swarmers to recolonize areas. –Fire ants are also extremely territorial which reduces the effectiveness of both bait and residual pesticide applications , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Fire Ant Control Control strategies consist of four methods: –Broadcast bait applications. –Individual mound treatments. –A combination of broadcasting and individual mound treatments ( a complete treatment). –Barrier and spot treatments ( does not eliminate the colony) , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Fire Ant Control - Broadcast Treatments Attempts to reduce the population by applying pesticides incorporated with a bait. Most baits are very slow acting in order to give the ants time to distribute the pesticide to the entire colony. Areas treated with broadcast treatments are subject to reinfestation due to the limited control. Broadcast treatments eliminate the need to locate the mounds , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Fire Ant Control - Broadcast Treatments When using a broadcast method of treatment: –Use fresh baits –Keep the baits dry –Apply the baits when the fire ants are foraging –follow the directions on the label , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Fire Ant Control - Individual Mound Treatments To eliminate a colony, the queen must be killed. this method is time consuming and labor intensive. Inspection must be thorough All colonies must be eliminated at one time. Individual mound treatment gains control quicker than broadcast treatments , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Fire Ant Control - Individual Mound Treatments Individual mound treatment methods are: –Baiting around the individual mounds. –Application of granules which are carried into the colony. –Application of dusts which are carried into the colony. –Applying pesticides into the colony using a prode and an aerosol delivery system. –Applying hot water directly into the mound. –Excavating the colony and removing it , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved