All The Problems Fire Ants Bring To Virginia Properties

Have you been properly introduced to red imported fire ants? If not, here is your opportunity. First introduced to the United States around the 1940s, since then, they've busily increased their territory—attacking crops, livestock, and people. When they come into your Virginia yard, you can expect these ants to create problems.

Fire Ants Sting

This is the first problem you'll have with these ants when they come into your Virginia yard. Fire ants are aggressive ants that swarm and sting. While we call these wounds bites, they do not actually bite. Fire ants deliver a sting with a stinger. This stinger injects venom into the skin in the same way a wasp or bee does. How bad is a fire ant sting? For most people, the wounds caused by fire ants will be red, irritating bumps with a pale pustule at the center.

Fire Ant Venom Can Cause A Severe Reaction

The issue of fire ant stings is multifaceted. It is certainly harmful to have ants in your yard that cause irritating, fiery wounds on your skin, but there is a greater threat. Fire ant venom can be dangerous to some people. A fire ant sting can lead to anaphylaxis and result in life-threatening symptoms. If you experience difficulty breathing, dizziness, cramps, diarrhea, nausea, or swelling of the tongue or throat, seek medical assistance immediately.

Fire ant allergy is not something that a small group of people has. It is something that can develop without warning. You can have a bad reaction to fire ant stings even if you've been bitten before without any reaction. Keep this in mind and always be cautious around these ants.

Fire Ants Threaten Those Who Can't Get Away From Them

When fire ants start to attack your toes, what do you do? You get away from them and brush them off, right? Not everyone can do this. If someone comes over to your home for a cookout and they have a baby in a carrier, this can be a recipe for disaster if you've been having trouble with fire ants. A baby can't get away from fire ants.

To make matters worse, babies cry for many reasons. They're not able to say, "Help! I'm being bitten by something!"

Mostly, Fire Ants Are Rude

These ants come into your yard and take over as if it belongs to them. When you go out into your yard to enjoy some outdoor activities, these ants will let you know when you've entered their territory—even though their territory is your territory. This territory that they think they own will only get larger as these ants spread through your yard. It is vital to take quick action at the first sign of fire ant activity.

Fire Ants Get Into Homes

If the conditions are right, fire ants can get into your home and present a serious problem. They can get into your kitchen trash, your pantry food, and they can get into your couch looking for crumbs. This brings them into close contact with you and increases the threat they present.

Fire Ants Are A Problem To Control

Before you get your can of Raid out and start spraying fire ant mounds, you should know that another problem these ants present is that they are difficult to control.

• On average, a fire ant colony will have around 250,000 workers.

• There can be many queens in a single colony.

• If threatened, budding can occur in the colony. Budding turns one colony into two or more.

• The network of tunnels below a fire ant mound can go ten feet underground.

• Fire ants can exit their colony from more than one mound and escape extermination.

Are You Having Trouble With Fire Ants?

If you are, reach out to All Pest Control & Solutions. Our licensed pest management professionals use strategies developed by pest control experts in the industry. We can determine the extent of your fire ant issues and create a treatment plan to address them fully. Reach out to us today if you have questions or you'd like to schedule service.