If you’re ever been bitten by a fire ant, it’s a feeling you won’t soon forget. When a fire ant bites you, their venom will cause a burning sensation. This leads to an itchy welt, commonly seen in a circle-like pattern.
From there, the welts blister. Although you can commonly treat these bites at home with cold compresses and
steroid creams sold over the counter, you may need a physician to inspect them.
The best way to prevent fire ant bites is with preventative
pest control services. This allows you to take precautionary measures, keeping fire ants away from your home in the first place. Here’s what you need to know about fire ants, what they look like, and how to spot their nests in your yard.
What Are Fire Ants?
Fire ants are dark in color, often reddish-brown. Their bites and stings are painful, injecting venom. Fire ants are more common in warm climates, but have been migrating north. Once they migrate to a new location, they’re usually there to stay. This makes pest control that much more important.
You’ll commonly find fire ants in parks, yards, and open fields. Although they don’t commonly invade homes, you should still be cautious of them if you suspect any type of ants in the yard. When walking around parks, you should wear tall socks, long pants, or other appropriate
outdoor clothing to avoid ant bites or tick bites.
What Do Fire Ant Nests Look Like?
Fire ants look for undisturbed areas to build their nests. Once constructed, a fire ant hill is roughly a foot and a half across and shaped like a dome. They can be anywhere from 8 inches to a foot high.
Don’t look for nests in hidden areas — you’ll commonly find them right out in the open in sunlit areas. Fire ants also look to build nests in irrigated, grassy areas.
Fire Ants vs. Termites
Yes, ants have a distinct appearance, but it’s easy to confuse ants with wings and termites. For starters, fire ants have wings. However, only males and virgin queens have wings.
When comparing wings, a termite's four wings are all about the same size. With ants, however, their front set of wings is larger than their hind pair. This is one way of distinguishing them from termites.
An ant's antennae bends but a termite’s antenna is straight and resembles a hair. Ants have a thin waist whereas a termite’s abdomen and thorax are connected without any visible waist.
Do You Have Fire Ants?
Fire ants build nests out in the open which means you’ll easily spot them. Be mindful of any nests and take precautionary measures to avoid painful fire ant bites from occurring.
If you have fire ants or other ants in your yard,
Serene Property Services can help. We have the skills and experience to remove any type of pest infestation, including fire ants and more.
We service Sparta, NJ, and all of Sussex County, NJ. We also service Warwick, NY.
Reach out to us today to see how we can assist you with all your pest-related needs.
