Fire ant control in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, FL, and surrounding areas.
Fire ant infestations are identified by small mounds in your lawn and landscape. Fire ant nests are mostly underground but they leave a small mound of dirt above the ground.
If you live in Florida, you live with ants. There are at least 20 types of ants in the Sarasota, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, and surrounding Florida area, but only a few types pose a danger to humans. Fire ants are particularly dangerous because they can bite humans and animals as well as damage your lawn and landscape. Fire ant nests are mostly underground but are identified by small mounds in your lawn and landscape.
Our team has the expertise and experience in fire ant control. We use safe and effective fire ant treatments to eliminate the pests and restore your lawn and landscape's health.
How Dangerous Are Fire Ants?
Fire ants came to the United States in the 1930s as stowaways on a ship from South America. They spread throughout the south and southwest regions of the country, where the climate is similar to their native home. The fire ant population has exploded over the years because they have no natural predators.
Fire ants are a red or reddish-brown color with stingers in their rear. In nature, they feed on dead animals or insects. If they get into your house, they’ll eat sweet or fatty foods.
Fire ants are more aggressive than most other ants. If you or an animal disturbs their nest, they will respond by swarming the intruder and biting and releasing venom through their stingers.
If you suffer a fire ant attack, the bites will feel like a sharp stinging pain. People who are allergic to fire ant venom can suffer anaphylactic shock. A fire ant colony can have 300,000 plus working ants, do not disturb their nest! You will get stung!
How Do You Identify Fire Ants in Your Yard?
Fire ants build nests that appear as mounds on your property. However, before the mound becomes visible, fire ants have already started damaging your lawn. Swarms of ants spend months burrowing deep underground before erecting a mound.
The digging destroys the roots of grass and other vegetation. They erect the mounds by pushing up dirt as they tunnel below your lawn. These mounds can make your yard resemble a blighted moonscape. Some fire ant nesting facts include:
- Fire ants typically build nests in sunny, dry spaces
- Mounds can be up to 7 inches high and 24 inches in diameter
- One mound can host thousands of ants
- One queen rules each mound
- Colonies expand rapidly, and several infestations can infect a property
You can identify a mound by its loose soil. Unlike other ant mounds, fire ant nests have no entryway at the center of the mound. Instead, fire ants travel in and out of the nest through underground tunnels.
The Best Method of Fire Ant Control
One of the reasons fire ant control can be difficult is because their underground networks can extend vast distances. Because an infestation can host several colonies, new colonies will replace a dead queen with a new one if you don’t kill all the queens.
Because fire ants are dangerous, you should hire our professional team to eliminate the pests. We use highly effective fire ant applications that are safe for you, your pets, and your lawn. Our team of experts knows how to kill fire ant infestations that are above and below ground.
We typically use bait that is spread throughout your lawn and landscape. Worker ants take the bait back to the colony to feed the larave, queen, and worker ants thus killing the entire colony. We can also use an EPA-approved chemical called Dylox for the treatment of all pests that might be invading your landscape. Our fire ant applications target colonies in their underground tunnels and not just in their nests. Our highly trained experts know how to identify and eliminate unseen fire ant threats.
Fire ant infestations can happen at any time of year in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, FL. Keep your family and lawn safe by contacting Tropical Gardens Landscape at (941) 993-2442 for fire ant control.
