Colonies are established by mated queens after a mating flight. Mating occurs in the air, after which mated queens land, lose their wings and seek a place to hide. Ninety percent or more of the queens are killed by predators such as frogs, lizards, or other ants including fire ant workers already in the area. The newly mated queens dig shallow depressions and lay eggs from which worker larvae (sterile females) hatch and develop. As adults, these worker ants care for the queen, egg production increases, and thus the colony begins. In some areas, colonies have been discovered in which there is more than one egg-producing queen per colony. As long as one queen and a few workers survive, the colony will persist.

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