Why Do Fire Ants Make Mounds?
When you think of fire ants, what annual season pops into
your mind? You are likely thinking of the spring or the summer, where ants are
abundant in the foliage and on the ground. You hardly see fire ants in the
winter, right?
Read on to find out why.
Fire Ants and Their Mounds
Unlike mammals, insects cannot regulate their body
temperatures. When mammals are cold, they have a way of warming themselves up
in order to survive. Insects, such as fire ants, do not have this luxury. When
the weather turns cold, their bodily functions slow. They have to hunker down
and find a way to stay warm or else they’ll die. They aren’t able to produce
much activity during the winter, which is why they can never be seen during the
colder seasons.
During the winter, fire ants make mounds in order to snuggle
and stay warm over the winter. They remain alive, and only come out when the
weather gets warmer.
The first season the mounds are created, the fire ants use
them to help regulate their temperature. The mound acts as a home that is
several ant-sized stories high, which makes different temperature zones at
different levels. Since ants barely use any energy during this time, they don’t
need to worry about eating in order to survive. For them, it’s all about
staying warm.
As soon as the spring season hits, the ants are ready to
search for food. They emerge from their mound and separate from their colony to
find calories that will fill them up. Once they are warmed and full of food,
they maintain their mounds to shelter the most important members of their
colony – such as the queens and the larvae.
The fire ants will then start to use their tunnels in
preparation for mating season, and this is when the mounds are used once again.
Mounds of dirt pile up as the ants dig tunnels to move dirt out of the way.
This is why you will typically see an abundance of fire ant mounds during the
warmer seasons, such as spring and summer. They are making room for food
storage when the weather starts to cool down again.
How to Get Rid of Fire Ants
If you start to see these fire ant mounds popping up all
over your property, you’ll want to get rid of them before they become active
during warmer weather. When awake and full of energy, fire ants can destroy
gardens and trees – not to mention, they really sting when they bite.
First, you’ll want to know the difference between a regular ant
mound and a fire ant mound. Fire ant mounds have a significant size increase
over regular ant mounds. If stung by a fire ant, you may be dealing with a
severe reaction such as an allergic reaction or searing pain. Ants tend to
swarm when threatened, making them very dangerous for children or playful
adults.
Not only are fire ants dangerous for humans and gardens, but
they are dangerous for electrical equipment as well. Fire ant nests can affect
electrical equipment if the mounds are built around them. If too many fire ants
attack small animals or livestock, it can cause the animals to go blind.
In order to protect your livestock, pets, garden, children,
trees, and yourself, you’ll want to get rid of the emerging fire ant mounds as
quickly as possible.
At Fischer, we specialize in exterminating ant mounds across the state of Louisiana
If you’re interested in taking care of this serious issue
as quickly as possible, please visit our website to learn more: https://www.fischerenv.com/about-us/talk-to-us/
If you want to speak to someone right away, you can email us
at fischer@fischereny.com or give
us a call at (800) 391-2565 to schedule a visit with a professional.
To learn more about the process of fire ant inspection and
treatment across your home, read our in-depth residential treatment checklist
to get started early: https://www.fischerenv.com/pest-control-programs/residential-treatment-checklist/
Fire ants are no joke. Prevent damage and pain by scheduling
a consultation with one of Fischer’s fire ant removal specialists right away!
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