Fire Ant

Watch out for the fire ant, he can deliver a painful sting! Luckily, this hostile little insect is usually easy to spot.

He lives in large mounds commonly seen in lawns, parks and fields. When his nest is disrupted, a fire ant will aggressively attack whatever disturbed his home—a foot, a pet, even a lawnmower!

If you’ve ever had an encounter with one, you know why it’s called a “fire” ant. He stings repeatedly, injecting venom that causes a burning sensation and itchy, painful blisters.

Fascinating Facts

• Uninvited guests! The most aggressive type of fire ant was introduced to the United States accidentally in the 1930s, traveling to our country on cargo ships from South America.
• Mountainous mounds. A fire ant mound can be two feet tall!
• Across the nation. Red Imported fire ants can be found in all southern states from Florida to Texas and as far north as Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee. They also pop up in parts of Arizona, New Mexico and California.

Learn about other Ants: