INSECT ID · STINGING ANT
Red imported fire ants
Also called Fire ants, RIFA, fire ant mounds
Stinging ants that build loose dirt mounds in lawns. They swarm when you step on one, and the stings burn.
How to spot it
- Dome of loose, crumbly soil with no hole in the top
- Mounds in lawns are usually a few inches high, and can be bigger in open ground
- Reddish-brown ants, about 1/16 to 3/16 inch, in mixed sizes
- Ants swarm up grass, shoes, and legs when the mound is bumped
- Stings burn and leave a small white blister
Why it shows up
A new queen needs only a handful of workers to start a colony. A new mound can show up several hundred feet away almost overnight. Rain and flooding push colonies to move. Mating flights are most common in spring and fall.
How we treat it
Fire ant control is part of our lawn program. We treat the lawn on a schedule, and we work on mounds we find. New mounds can show up between visits, especially after rain. Tell us where you see them.
What you can do
- Do not kick or poke a mound. The ants come out fast.
- Never pour gasoline or other fuels on a mound.
- Check the yard for mounds after rain, and tell us where you find them.
WANT IT HANDLED?
Let a licensed applicator take it from here.
Tell us about your lawn. We’ll get back to you with a free quote.
Prefer to talk? 817-382-1722Licensed applicator, Texas Department of Agriculture · License #0984138