Physical Characteristics of Phoenix Fire Ants
- Dark abdomen, brownish-copper head
- Measure 1/8” – 1/4” in length
- Three pairs of legs
Behavior
- Dirt mounds act as the Fire Ant’s nest, and are found in moist areas
- Both aggressive and venomous, fire ants attack when their nests are disrupted
- Queens can lay approximately 2000 eggs daily
Phoenix Food Sources
- Omnivorous, preferring protein sources such as other insects
Life Cycle
- Larval development to adulthood spans an average of 30 days
- Workers live 1 – 6 months
- Queens have a lifespan up to 7 years
Related Pest Control Information and Warnings
- Not native to Arizona
- Attacks include multiple stings and the release of venom
- Severe reactions to stings are possible in the case of victims with a hypersensitivity to fire ant venom
- Avoid fire ant mounds and proceed with caution when near one
Fire Ants in Arizona
Have you noticed any raised white pustules (red, tender bumps with white pus at their tips) that itch and last for days after being outside? You or your pets may have had an unfortunate intimate encounter with fire ants. Yes, fire ants do sting and it hurts. Unfortunately, a stinging encounter with fire ants usually involves more than one ant, and each year many people and their pets have the experience of being stung by dozens, or even hundreds, of fire ants. When fire ants bite they inject their venom, which can be quite potent. In addition, they have the ability to sting repeatedly and still survive to return to her normal duties.
A small fraction of those bitten may have an allergic reaction to the fire ant venom. In the most extreme cases, even a few stings can result in the life-threatening condition known as anaphylaxis (Anaphylaxis is a severe, whole-body allergic reaction to a chemical that has become an allergen). Each year humans die as a result from fire ant stings.
Fire Ant Facts
- Fire ants are one of nature’s most fearsome cleaning forces
- A red imported fire ant army can take down prey much larger than itself, and strip a carcass clean overnight
- Dozens, even hundreds, of fire ants sting in unison—and this is what humans have come to fear
- The ant bites down, and then stings, injecting a toxic venom that burns like, well, fire
- Red imported fire ants were introduced to the United States in the 1930s, probably stowing away in ballast on a Brazilian cargo ship
- Now they’ve spread across several southern states
- The ants build large nests in the soil, and once established, are known to devastate the ecosystem around them
- They’ve been known to radically reduce the number of animal species in a given area… sometimes eliminating them entirely—with the power of the swarm
- Fire ants can aggressively take over an area and spread like wildfire.
If you notice a Fire Ant or have feel as though you have an infestation in your Phoenix property please feel free to call Bug Guardian at (480)345-2847.