The Trick to Getting Rid of Fire Ants in Your Dallas Yard
May 14, 2020 - Ants
The term “fire ant” is a generic name for many different species of ants in the genus Solenopsis, which includes over 200 species worldwide. Solenopsis are stinging ants, capable of causing anything from mild or severe pain to allergic reactions. You may hear these ants called “red ants” because they are often light brown to reddish in color.
The fire ant, Solenopsis geminata, and the red imported fire ant are the fire ant species most commonly found in the Dallas area. Fire ants are worse than other ants because of their numbers and their aggressive nature. They will violently protect their colonies, which are large. For this reason, thousands of fire ants can attack and sting a threat at one time, leading to severe and painful swelling and burning or worse. In fact, a large number of stings can be fatal regardless of how healthy a person is. For those allergic, a single sting can cause a fatal anaphylactic reaction. Fire ants are nothing to fool around with, but what is the trick to getting rid of fire ants in your Dallas Yard
How To Spot A Fire Ant Colony
Fire ants are soil-dwelling insects. You can easily see a fire ant colony by noting a worked or churned up soil mound. The larger these colonies are, the bigger the mounds can be. Mounds that go undisturbed can be as high as 18 inches. Red imported fire ants in Dallas will enter and exit the mound using underground tunnels. On average, a fire ant colony will have 100,000 to 500,000 worker ants and even hundreds of other ant species. A colony with one queen might build between 40 and 150 mounds containing as many as 7 million red fire ants for every acre. That’s a lot of stings.
How Do I Get Rid of Fire Ants In My Dallas Yard?
Good question. A quick Google search will give you a lot of DIY methods for getting rid of fire ants. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of these techniques varies. Mound drenches, dusting the surface with poison, ant bait, and devices meant to chase ants away are just some of the ways people try to get rid of fire ants in Dallas. More primitive methods include dumping boiling water onto mounds or using an accelerant and igniting the mound on fire.
The problem with many of these DIY methods is that you kill a lot of ants, but you don’t get to the queen hidden deep in the mound. Trying these methods will result in a few days with no visible activity followed by what appears to be a sudden rebirth of the colony. Baits have been known to work, but only if the fire ants aren’t feeding on something else that keeps them away from the bait. Mound injections, whereby a fire ant poison is injected into the mound, can cause harm to the person using them.
Leave Fire Ant Problems In Your Dallas Yard To The Professionals
Do you have a fire ant problem in Dallas? Don’t risk injury by trying to get rid of fire ants on your own. Avoid the frustration of trying to navigate your yard without disturbing fire ant colonies and risking the wrath of thousands of angry fire ants. Contact the pest control experts at Addison Green Lawn today. We have the experience and the methods to help you eliminate fire ants in Dallas. Our great customer care, experience, and fast service will help put your mind at ease when it comes to eliminating your fire ant problem.
