“Fire ant” is a common name for several species of ants in the genus Solenopsis family of ants. Solenopsis are stinging ants and most of their common names reflect this.
The bodies of mature ants, like the bodies of all typical mature insects, are divided into three sections: the head, the thorax and the abdomen, with three pairs of legs and a pair of antennae. Fire ants in the U.S. can be distinguished from other ants locally present, by the copper brown head and body with a darker abdomen. There are three types of ant in the same hill which include the queen, soldier and worker ants.
A typical fire ant colony can produce large mounds in open areas and it feeds mostly on young plants and seeds. Fire ants often attack small animals and can kill them. A fire ant bites only to get a grip and then stings (from the abdomen) and injects toxic alkaloid venom called Solenopsin.
For humans, this is a very painful sting, a sensation similar to what one feels when burnt by fire (hence the name). The side effects of the sing can be deadly to some people if not treated soon.
Fire ants nest in the soil, often near moist areas, such as riverbanks, pond shores, watered lawns and highway shoulders. Usually, the nest will be hidden under timbers, logs, rocks or brick, but they can be found in large mounds in spaces such as an open field, parks or lawns. These mounds can reach over 2 feet in height.
Colonies of ants are founded by small groups of queens or just a single queen. Even if one queen survives, within a month or so, the colony can expand to thousands of ants. The queens are also the largest in the colony and can live up to seven years.
During their lifespan, they often produce up to 1,600 eggs per day. Some colonies have as many as 250,000 worker ants and their life span is about five years. Young fire ants have wings, allowing them to venture out and start more colonies, but they lose them after mating.
Fire ants do have a few natural predators such as the Phorid flies and Psedacteon flies, which are imported to this country to help control fire ants. One of our own natives, the Venus flytrap here in North and South Carolina, do their own part in controlling the ant population.
The fire ant, which came from South America, was accidentally introduced into our country at the port of Mobile, Alabama about 1918. Within 20 years, they had spread just about all over the Southeast.
My first encounter with the fire ants was during the late ’50s and early ’60s. I hunted a lot in Robeson and Scotland counties and I was amazed at the size of the ant hills.
Once on the land, the fire ants are hard if not impossible to get rid of. Why, even in a flood like they had in South Carolina in 2015, these ants survived. You see, thousands of ants can form a raft and drift across rivers and swamps to start their colonies on the other side. Also, fire ants can be spread by logging equipment, the hauling of dirt or even by the wind.
From my own experience with fire ants, it seems these little devils wait till they all get on you, and one of them signals the others to sting all at the same time. Why, it feels like someone is sticking burning cigarettes to your body.
‘Bout the only home remedy for a fire ant sting is to spray WD-40 or Clorox on it. This will take some of the fire and itch out of the sting.
Once, my mom had a mound of fire ants in her flower bed. She went to a local feed and seed store and bought a can of powder that was supposed to get rid of these pesky devils. She was told just to sprinkle some of the powder on top of the ant hill but Mom, bless her soul, thought by stirring it in with a tobacco stick it would work sooner.
Wrong! Why, while she was stirring, those ants done run up the stick and stung the fire out of her.
Another time back in the ’70s, my friend Bubba was helping my Uncle Skeet clean up a new garden spot. Back then, people around these parts didn’t know much about the fire ant, even though they were already here.
Bubba and Uncle Skeet had been working hard all morning in the garden and built up a pretty good sweat. My Aunt Stella had just come down the hill to the garden with a fresh pitcher of cold Kool-Aid. As Bubba stood there drinking his Kool-Aid, he didn’t realize he was standing in a mound of fire ants.
All of a sudden, them ants commenced to biting him. Bubba said, “something got a hold on me,” and he started pulling off his shoes, his socks, his britches and finally his shirt.
Why, I think he would have pulled off his underwear if’n my aunt hadn’t been standing right in front of him. Bubba said later he didn’t know nothing else to do but go jump into my uncle’s pond — and that’s just what he did.
Aunt Stella said, “Skeet, what in the world has got into that young man?”
Uncle Skeet said, “Well, Stella, I reckon the boy just had to have some relief.”
Well, all’s well that ends well, don’t you reckon? Uncle Skeet brought Bubba a towel, a change of clothes and sprayed him down with WD-40 and Bubba went back to work. Bubba said he just threw his old clothes in the brush fire cause he didn’t want no more ants in his pants.
Well, if any of y’all are outside this summer, please be careful of them fire ants, ‘cause there just might not be any pond to jump into.