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Red Imported Fire Ants

Native to central South America, red imported fire ants are established in the U.S. and Australia. Its sting is 95% alkaloid venom, which causes both the pain and white pustule that appears about a day after the sting occurs. In urban settings, they may nest under patio slabs, in lawns, under edges of sidewalks, foundations, concrete driveways, and electrical boxes. After a heavy rain, the colony may move to higher ground or inside homes to take refuge from saturated soil. They also reduce ground-nesting populations of rodents and birds.

UF/IFAS Web resources

Publications

Managing Imported Fire Ants in Urban Areas

LH059/ENY226 by eXtension Imported Fire Ants communityMarch 4, 2024This publication is updated quarterly. For the most current version of this document, refer to the version posted on the Imported Fire Ants site, https://ant-pests.extension.org/managing-imported-fire-ants-in-urban-areas/.

Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)

IN352/EENY-195 by Laura Collins and Rudolf H. ScheffrahnOctober 23, 2020

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