For Fastest Service, Call Us
469-333-TURFAccording to statistics, the great state of Texas is home to over 360 species of insects, bugs, and pests. Among them, the Red Imported Fire Ants are probably some of the worst lawn invaders you might stumble upon. Lawn care Mansfield, TX, together with their pest control Arlington, TX colleagues gathered here today to talk about these pests and the dangers they pose. Don’t take things superficially, as, in comparison to your traditional almost inoffensive ants, these ones kill and eat everything alive and they can also threaten your life with their venom. There are many species of fire ants in the state and even if some are localized to some parts of it, you should be aware of their presence if they happen to nest in your neighborhood.
Just as their name says, Red Imported Fire Ants are red (or dark brown) in color. The worker adults reach around 1/16 to 3/16 inch in length. The queens are larger (3/8 inch) and after mating, they have no wings.
Red Imported Fire Ants live in underground colonies which can contain up to 100,000 to 500,000 workers. A particularity is that they don’t build mounds with an opening in the center like other ants do. Instead, they travel through long and elaborately built underground tunnels. If you see a mound in your garden that is about 18 inches in height and has no center opening, you should call your lawn care Mansfield, TX specialists right away, as you probably have a huge problem to solve.
These pests love sunny areas like meadows, parks, pastures, crop fields and lawns. Avoiding shady areas, they build their nests in dry and warm neighborhoods. The problem is they seem attracted by electrical current, so they pose a threat to electrical junction boxes or all types of wires and cables. They can nest also in logs, around trees and stumps, in rotting parts of vegetations, inside or under buildings. Even if they like loose soil, they also make a home under stones and boards, in woodwork, masonry, concrete cracks and so on.
These ants are a threat to anything alive, as they are omnivorous. They attack without discrimination plants, flowers, vegetables and even seeds. They kill other insects and can ravage ticks, caterpillars, spiders, arthropod eggs, earthworm and other pests. That would be a good thing provided they would limit themselves to them. However, the ants also feed on small vertebrate animals.
If their earth mounds are disturbed, the soldiers will begin a venomous stinging and biting attack. They are a danger to pets and children, especially, but also to adults. While their venom is highly toxic, it shouldn’t be deadly. However, some people registered violent reactions to the ants’ stings.
If you identify these pests around your lawn and garden, immediately call your lawn care Mansfield, TX specialists to assess the situation and employ the best pest control treatments against Red Imported Fire Ants. There are some quick containment measures to employ, but given the dangers, your best option is a professional pest control team.
