Fire Ants

Fire ants come in many sizes, and there are quite a few of these species that are know for being mean.

But is it being mean or survival?

Fire ants will fight for their survival and bite when they are threatened. It is how they survive in their natural environment. If fire ants sting you, you will know it immediately and it is going to hurt. Of course they generally stick together so where you find one you will find many.

Fire ants live in very large colonies and you will often see their mounds peaking out from piles of dirt in the backyard or in open fields. They also tend to have their home underneath things. If you move a pile of wood or bricks you should be careful to examine the area for them and other types of insects first.

You will likely find fire ants out in the open during the early morning hours. This is when they will be on the hunt for food to bring back to the colony. They eat a great deal and often go after crickets and other types of insects. When fire ants can’t find insects they will settle for plants and grass. The amount of fire ants in the colony will continue to grow as long as there is enough food for them.

The queen ants will only reproduce if the basic needs of the colony are being met. This is a type of survival skill that is evident in most species of ants. There is only one queen in each ant colony. She will live to be about five years of age and will be replaced as soon as she dies. The number of eggs she lays daily will vary from a couple of hundred to more than one thousand.

The male ants have the job of mating with the queen. They will do so and then these fire ants have to move on to anther colony to continue the process. All of the worker ants in a colony of fire ants are females. None of them are able to reproduce. They do help to care for the young ants though and to gather food for everyone to eat.