Fire Ants

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The vicious fire ant was accidentally introduced into the United States through cargo arriving from South America in the late 1930's. The hearty fire ants thrived in the hot southern climates and quickly spread throughout the United States. Since its arrival and subsequent widespread expansion, it has made a noticable and negative effect on wildlife, domestic farm animals and people from the eastern half of Texas through the entire southern United States. Fire Ants are a top pest control concern in every southern state because they spread quickly, and are aggressive in attacking other living creatures. Besides delivering a painful bite, in swarms they are documented to have killed people, horses, and cattle. They are a very real threat, and a major problem insect.

Negative interactions between people and wildlife often become more frequent as other species move into "people places" seeking moisture. In dry conditions, Fire Ants must burrow deeper underground to find adequate soil moisture and a tolerable temperature. As an aggressive pest, this search for ideal living conditions often drives fire ants into lush yards, gardens, pasture land, and other well vegetated areas. If you notice growing mounds of dirt in your yard, it is probably a fire ant mound. Due to the danger posed by fire ants, and the fact that they will rapidly spread, you should hire an Atlanta pest control company that understands how to kill fire ants without endangering people, pets or livestock.

Fire Ant Mound The photo to the right is a typical fire ant mound. These mounds start out small and gradually increase in size as the colony expands underground. The amount of dirt visible above ground is a clear indicator of the size of the underground colony. Anyone who disturbs the nest will see a rapid eruption of angry fire ants "boiling" from the center of the fire ant mound, and seeking to bite any perceived living threat.

Destroying a fire ant mound is not as easy as you might think. Failed attempts to destroy a fire ant mound are common. This results in a lot of dead worker fire ants, and the remainder of the colony (including the queen) relocate to somwhere nearby. You could spend all of your warm months playing hide-and-seek with a single fire ant colony. For fast results you should hire an Atlanta pest control company that has the knowledge, experience and products to eliminate fire ants, including killing the entire colony and destroying the fire ant mound.

Fire ants are one of the most studied species of insects in the world. Fire Ants are recognized as having an enormous economical and biological impact wherever they are found. The success of their invasion is largely due to the aggressiveness and adaptability of the species, which allows it to overcome native ants and competing insects.

The following links will take you to pages with information on other common types of ants in Georgia.