Identification
- Workers vary considerably in size
- Painful sting
- Build large raised mounds
Environment
- Prefers to nest in open, disturbed areas (Yards, fields, and roadsides are common nest locations)
Threats
- Devastates local insect populations and small wildlife when it invades an area
- Many grouse and ground nesting bird species have been eliminated by fire ants when they attack newly hatched nestlings
- Humans likewise are victims of their vicious sting
Treatment
- Granular baits are among the best treatments available for fire ants
- The bait is distributed throughout the colony, eventually resulting in the death of the queen
