When you combine our hot and humid summers in Birmingham with fire ant invasions, the results are almost unbearable. The stings of fire ants can be incredibly painful, and these pests can be very difficult to control. Before fire ants invade your yard and home, you need the best pest control In Birmingham, EnviroCare.
When Are Fire Ants The Most Active?
Temperatures in the late spring and early fall are conducive to fire ant activity. Although they can be active at other times of the year, these vicious ants forage for food when temperatures range between 72°F and 96°F.
Fire ants do have a heat limit. If the temperature is too high, like during peak summer heat, they will dig into the ground to stay cooler. Unless the temperature plummets below 16°F, the ants will survive the winter. During the cold winter months, however, they are much less active.
During the spring and summer, winged fire ants, called "reproductives," will leave the nest on a "nuptial" flight to mate and form a new colony. Shortly after mating, the male fire ants die, and the female will fly to a nearby location to start a new colony.
Fire Ant Mounds: What To Do If You Spot Them
How do you know if you have fire ant mounds in your yard? The first hint is the location of the fire ant mound. These types of ants like to build their mounds in the following areas:
- Against foundations of buildings
- At the base of trees
- Next to the sides of sidewalks
- Alongside streams of water
- Underneath yard mulch
- Inside of rotten logs
Fire ants will also build mounds in open, grassy areas like yards, parks, and fields. Fire ant mounds may be up to four feet, and they’re typically uneven and flat in shape. A fire ant mound may contain up to 100,000 ants. Due to their reproductive habits, an acre of land may have up to 40 mounds.
If you think you have a fire ant hill in your yard, one way to determine if fire ants are active in your yard is to place a slice of a hot dog near the mound. If fire ants are in the mound, you will see activity in less than ten minutes.
Why Home Remedies For Fire Ants Don't Work
Most people think fire ants bite; however, fire ants bite and sting. When attacking, the fire ant bites and then stings. When the ant stings, it injects its victim with venom resulting in a painful, fire-like sensation. The infected area quickly develops a painful white blister which takes a few days to dissolve. Due to the vicious, rapid attacks of fire ants, homeowners should make it a priority to eliminate them from their yards.
Several popular fire ant home remedies include:
- Hot water
- Soapy water
- Instant grits
- Baking soda
- Molasses
- Vinegar
While these home remedies may help to a limited degree with fire ant control for your Birmingham home, they are ineffective in eliminating your fire ant problem. In some cases, these remedies will kill surrounding vegetation, are dangerous to pets and livestock, can pollute nearby water supplies, and be harmful to children.
Getting Rid Of Fire Ants In Your Birmingham Lawn
The main problem with home remedies is they fail to kill the whole fire ant community. Often, the colony will relocate to another location after a home remedy treatment. For these reasons, you need the professionals at EnviroCare to take care of the fire ants in Birmingham.
Our licensed, professional team members are trained in fire ant control and prevention. We not only destroy the fire ant mounds, but we eliminate the egg-laying queen of the colonies. EnviroCare is your source for fire ant control in Birmingham.