Electrical • Gardens • Homes and Buildings • Lawns and Other Turf • Water •Health Care Facilities • Compost Piles, Mulched Flower Beds, Pavement Cracks There are many options for managing various kinds of fire ant problems. When using pesticides, use only products labeled for the location or “site” you want to treat. For instance, DO NOT use a product in your vegetable garden unless that site is listed on the label. Many combinations of control options are available, and there may be no single best method. Researchers are… Read More →

Ouch! The stinging effects of the imported fire ant in Texas can be felt in economic as well as health terms. No one knows the economic losses caused by the fire ant in Texas, but a recent estimate, based on the best available information, was $300 million annually. Texans are also spending hundreds of millions annually to control fire ants in their yards and pastures. Fire ants especially cause problems for cities and towns. It’s estimated that homeowners in urban areas spend around $10.5 million a year on… Read More →

The KIDzANTS Fire Ant Curriculum for Youth, originally developed by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, has various learning lessons and materials to explain where fire ants came from, and discuss fire ant biology and behavior.  This curriculum now resides with the eXtension Imported Fire Ant Community of Practice, http://articles.extension.org/fire_ants.  These materials are specifically located at eXtension’s Imported Fire Ants Youth Content page, KIDzANTS and Beyond: Educational Materials for Young People about Imported Fire Ants At the end of each student exercise there are some notes for instructors… Read More →

What are red imported fire ants? What makes them different from Texas native ants? Red imported fire ants or Solenopsis invicta are medium-sized red and black colored ants that build mounds of soft soil. Mounds are rarely larger than 18″ in diameter. In cold, dry areas such as the High Plains of Texas, mounds are usually much smaller and harder to detect. When disturbed, fire ants emerge aggressively, crawling up vertical surfaces, biting and stinging “all at once”. Their sting usually leaves a white pustule on the skin…. Read More →

Ants are social insects. The nest or colony can be found indoors and outdoors, although some species have preferred nesting sites. The nest contains one or more queen ants which lay eggs and are cared for by worker ants. Worker ants are sterile or non-reproductive female ants that tend the queen, the brood (eggs, larvae and pupae), and forage for food. Most species produce winged ants, called reproductives, during certain times of the year. These are male and female ants leaving the nest to mate and establish new… Read More →

What is an invasive species? (PDF) Biology Fire Ant Identification History of the Red Imported Fire Ant Fire Ant Habitat Native Ants Impact of the Red Imported Fire Ant Frequently Asked Questions on Fire Ants Damage Symptoms of Common Turfgrass Pest Problems and Possible Causes

In general, ants do not often directly injure turfgrass, but the presence of colonies that form areas cleared of turfgrass or mounds of dirt can appear unsightly and become troublesome by interfering with golfing or field operations such as mowing. Galleries constructed by colonies can disrupt turfgrass roots and change the moisture-holding capacity of soils. In some habitats, ants move as much or more soil as earthworms, thereby helping to reduce soil compaction (Holldobler & Wilson 1990). Some ant species, such as the red imported fire ant, can… Read More →

What Kind of Ant is This? Lisa Lennon, Extension Agent – IPM (Fire Ant Project) for Travis and Williamson Counties Texas AgriLife Extension Service   Ants are not all created equal. There are many species in Texas and it just takes some persistence and knowing what to look for to tell them apart. Most people think that only imported fire ants are around. But if you look closely and take time to learn a little ant biology, the ant world can be a captivating place. Red imported fire ants… Read More →