Fire Ant Colony Location

Fire ants prefer to live in open, sunny areas. They need the sun’s energy to warm the colony and allow the developing ants to grow. They do not like shade. Rarely will they build mounds under trees or in a wooded area unless there is plenty of sunlight on the ground for several hours daily.

Fire ants also prefer soils such as clay or loam that “stick together” for building the raised mounds in which they live.

Fire ants dislike being flooded. If a mound is flooded during a rainstorm or other high-water situation, all the ants will cling together and form a living “raft” to protect the queen (or queens) and the developing offspring. Once this raft of ants hits a tree, rock or other dry object, all of the ants will climb onto it and wait for the water to go down.

• Video - Fire Ant Response to Flooding - Rafting Down the River

After rains, fire ant mounds seem to magically appear in sunny areas. The ant colonies build a taller mound on drier soil and live above the ground.

Fire ants may be more active on warm, cloudy days than hot, clear days. The ideal temperatures for fire ant activity ranges from 70 °F to 95 °F. If the surface temperature of the soil is more than 95 °F, the ants will remain in the ground until temperatures are cooler. During the summer, fire ants may not come out during the day, but will forage for food at night.