FIRE ANTS IN FLORIDA PEST CONTROL NAPLES FLORIDA

FIRE ANTS IN FLORIDA

THE LITTLE FIRE ANT 

                The
Little Fire Ant gets its name from its very painful sting.  However, it is not closely related to the true
fire ants which belong to the group of fire ants from Central and South
America.  Here in Florida it is located
in Central and South Florida.  These ants
do not seem to form definite underground nests but instead appear in clusters
beneath objects and in crack and crevices. 
New colonies are started by budding where workers and inseminated
females leave the parent colony and wander off, but remain part of the super
colony. Little Fire Ants tend to eliminate competitive ant species within their
territory.  The Little Fire Ant is less
aggressive than The Native Fire Ant or The Imported Fire Ant.  They may be crawling on you for some time
without being disturbed or stinging. 
Since they do not have distinctive mounds a person may not realize they
are standing in a Little Fire Ant area and be stung without warning. The Little
Fire Ant is recognized by its light to golden brown color with the abdomen
slightly darker.  It has a pair of spines
on its pedicel instead of a distinctive node. 
It also has very large mandibles, a robust body for its size, and a
stinger at the end of the gaster.

THE NATIVE FIRE ANT

                The
Native Fire Ant or sometimes call the Southern Fire Ant was the original fire
ant to the South and Florida for years. 
It nests in the ground but does not build the large mounds like the red
imported fire ants does.  The Native Fire
Ant is less aggressive than its exotic sister the red imported fire ant.  This ant builds mounds that are irregular
craters consisting of scattered soil with multiple, obscure entrances.  These nests are in the open under objects
such as boards and stones, sand sometimes in woodwork or masonry.   A person may not be aware that they are
standing in a Native Fire Ant area and have Native Fire Ants on them before
they realize the stinging.  The Native
Fire Ant is omnivorous with a distinct preference for oily meat and nuts and
other high protein foods.  They will chew
on clothing, kill young poultry, feed on various plants and seeds, gnaw into
vegetables and fruits, and remove the rubber insulation from around telephones
wires.  These ants are recognized by
their body color is highly variable with the head and thorax yellowish red and
the gaster dark.  Some eastern forms have
a brownish to black head and thorax. 
They have a two segmented petiole instead of a node, and a stinger at
the end of the gaster.  The larger
mandible and clypeus has two distinct teeth on their robust body.

THE IMPORTED FIRE
ANT

                The
Imported Fire Ant is the most aggressive fire ant for its sting and destruction
of property. This ant is found from Southern Florida west to Texas and as far
north as Virginia.  The Imported Fire Ant
has an omnivorous diet and opportunistic feeding habits, and they feed on any
plant or animal they encounter.  In heavy
infestations coexisting species of ants other invertebrates and vertebrates
suffer and are sometimes eliminated.  The
Red Imported fire ant has been known to kill live stock, like cows out in a
pasture. The painful sting which they are able to inflict in unison after
crawling up the legs of an unwitting victim is the basis of their
reputation.  The venom of the Red
Imported Fire Ant contains piperidines, which cause a burning sensation, and
proteins, which can cause life threatening anaphylactic shock in a small
percentage of the population.  The Red
Imported Fire Ant is recognized by its body color is an almost uniform dark
reddish brown.  They are 1/8 to 1/4 inch
long and have a two segmented petiole and a stinger at the end of the
gaster.  The large mandibles and clypeus
has three distinctive teeth on their robust body.

Call, 239-455-4300, for a complete explanation on any of our services, or look us up on our web site at collierpestcontrol.com for information and pictures of any Florida insect.  Remember Florida does not have to be shared with insects. 

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