Fire ants are a constant in the state of Texas when it is nearing summer. If you’ve ever been outside during a Texas summer, then you have definitely seen the massive ant hills that pop up. Those things are no joke, especially when it comes to their bites. The first time I got bit by a fire ant was a total surprise. It is actually painful and will leave a staple-like marks behind after swelling goes down. At this point, many people just associate fire ants with Texas.
Unbeknownst to many, those things are not native to Texas. Not even native to this country at all. These vicious ants were brought over from South America and basically took over the land as a dominant ant species. Super unfortunate.
You may be wondering why the heck I’m writing something about ants that everyone (as far as I know) really hates. Well, let me tell you. I was waiting for my boyfriend outside one of the buildings in the UT campus area called the Six Pack and I noticed fire ants crawling about. There was at least one on my backpack and some on the bench I was sitting on. Then I noticed ants around the grassy area around me as well as other bugs. I was not about to get eaten by those things so I headed indoors to wait. But the reminder that fire ants exist sparked an idea to do a random educational piece over the nasty creatures. So, here we go!
Unbeknownst to many, those things are not native to Texas. Not even native to this country at all. These vicious ants were brought over from South America and basically took over the land as a dominant ant species. Super unfortunate.
You may be wondering why the heck I’m writing something about ants that everyone (as far as I know) really hates. Well, let me tell you. I was waiting for my boyfriend outside one of the buildings in the UT campus area called the Six Pack and I noticed fire ants crawling about. There was at least one on my backpack and some on the bench I was sitting on. Then I noticed ants around the grassy area around me as well as other bugs. I was not about to get eaten by those things so I headed indoors to wait. But the reminder that fire ants exist sparked an idea to do a random educational piece over the nasty creatures. So, here we go!
The fire ants common to Texas are an invasive species!
As I mentioned before, fire ants are not native. The ones we commonly see are a certain species of fire ant that has the common name of red imported fire ant (RIFA). Apparently, fire ants are typically not invasive and do not bother people. However, the ones we have around are invasive. They originate from Brazil and were brought over by accident sometime around the 1930s. RIFAs popped up first in Mobile, Alabama and then proceeded to be a total pest. RIFAs also may have been introduced via ships to the United States. These guys have been pointed to as a threat to biodiversity and a disturbance to humans.
Fire ant hills can house a terrifyingly large number of workers and can become huge.
There’s nothing more terrifying in a hot Texas summer than finding out you’ve accidentally stepped on a fire ant hill. Imagine knowing that a relatively new hill, or mound, can house more than 10,000 ant workers! What if I told you that an older as well as bigger mound could contain between 100,000-500,000 ants. Such colonies are considered to be mature colonies, which is about three years of existence. The one-year old ant hills can be rather inconspicuous, barely showing if there’s tall enough grass around. But the more mature colonies are pretty hard to miss, especially considering they can become 12 inch tall and 12 inch wide on the surface. The mounds can also reach ten feet deep on average.
Ever since their introduction in the US, RIFAs have spread a lot across the country.
Fire ants journey across the country started in the south and began to spread north and west quite quickly after. They are often found in southern states like Alabama and Florida, but can also be found in California. The ants are also in states like Maryland and Delaware. The US government also considers the island of Puerto Rico as infested with RIFAs! Remember how I mentioned those ships… it was probably that.
RIFAs typically attack in swarms and leave behind angry, red marks that itch and hurt.
The bites you get from fire ants are not a joke when it comes to how annoying and ugly they can get. The speed at which those guys crawl on you and start to sting your flesh is alarming. According to Healthline, fire ants can sting several times. Leaving behind a mass of painful AND itchy bites behind on your body. What you’ll see looks like a really gross red pimple that appears about to pop multiplied numerous times. It’s quite gross. The swelling isn’t nice either. Some people are allergic to ant bites. Therefore, it’s good to be careful because the effects can be nearly instant and dangerous.
All in all, fire ants are bad. Bad news for you, me, other ants, etc. The US government tried eradicating them, but it didn’t go so well. It looks like the rest of us and fire ants will just be dueling it out for the rest of eternity! Bad new for the fire ants though… there’s a new sheriff in town that are affectionately called “Crazy Ants.” It’s probably also not great new for us either.
As I mentioned before, fire ants are not native. The ones we commonly see are a certain species of fire ant that has the common name of red imported fire ant (RIFA). Apparently, fire ants are typically not invasive and do not bother people. However, the ones we have around are invasive. They originate from Brazil and were brought over by accident sometime around the 1930s. RIFAs popped up first in Mobile, Alabama and then proceeded to be a total pest. RIFAs also may have been introduced via ships to the United States. These guys have been pointed to as a threat to biodiversity and a disturbance to humans.
Fire ant hills can house a terrifyingly large number of workers and can become huge.
There’s nothing more terrifying in a hot Texas summer than finding out you’ve accidentally stepped on a fire ant hill. Imagine knowing that a relatively new hill, or mound, can house more than 10,000 ant workers! What if I told you that an older as well as bigger mound could contain between 100,000-500,000 ants. Such colonies are considered to be mature colonies, which is about three years of existence. The one-year old ant hills can be rather inconspicuous, barely showing if there’s tall enough grass around. But the more mature colonies are pretty hard to miss, especially considering they can become 12 inch tall and 12 inch wide on the surface. The mounds can also reach ten feet deep on average.
Ever since their introduction in the US, RIFAs have spread a lot across the country.
Fire ants journey across the country started in the south and began to spread north and west quite quickly after. They are often found in southern states like Alabama and Florida, but can also be found in California. The ants are also in states like Maryland and Delaware. The US government also considers the island of Puerto Rico as infested with RIFAs! Remember how I mentioned those ships… it was probably that.
RIFAs typically attack in swarms and leave behind angry, red marks that itch and hurt.
The bites you get from fire ants are not a joke when it comes to how annoying and ugly they can get. The speed at which those guys crawl on you and start to sting your flesh is alarming. According to Healthline, fire ants can sting several times. Leaving behind a mass of painful AND itchy bites behind on your body. What you’ll see looks like a really gross red pimple that appears about to pop multiplied numerous times. It’s quite gross. The swelling isn’t nice either. Some people are allergic to ant bites. Therefore, it’s good to be careful because the effects can be nearly instant and dangerous.
All in all, fire ants are bad. Bad news for you, me, other ants, etc. The US government tried eradicating them, but it didn’t go so well. It looks like the rest of us and fire ants will just be dueling it out for the rest of eternity! Bad new for the fire ants though… there’s a new sheriff in town that are affectionately called “Crazy Ants.” It’s probably also not great new for us either.