If you live in an area known to be infested with fire ants, you can recognize their presence in several ways:
- Fire ants usually have an aboveground mound of fluffy, worked soil, particularly a few days after a heavy rain.
- Unlike the nests of most other ant species, the fire ant mound has no opening in the center. Fire ants leave and enter through underground tunnels that come out near the mounds.
- Fire ant workers also vary in size from 1/16 to 1/4 inch (polymorphic). Many other ant species are uniform in size.
- Fire ants are more aggressive than other commonly encountered ants.
- Fire ants will bite and sting repeatedly. A day or so after the sting, the venom forms a white fluid-filled pustule or blister at the sting site. Only fire ant venom causes this symptom.
Related Content
- Identifying Fire Ants: How do I know if I have fire ants?
- Geographic Distribution of Fire Ants
- How can I tell the difference between imported fire ants and some common native ants?
- I have ants in my house. Are they fire ants?
Find more information about fire ants in eXtension's Imported Fire Ant Resource Area.
