Red imported fire ants are an invasive ant species originally from South America. These aggressive ants have been spreading across the southern United States for years and are now found in at least 17 states, including much of the southern United States and parts of California and Virginia. Fire ants are known for building massive ant hills and aggressively stinging and biting anyone who disturbs their nests.
Red imported fire ants are native to South America, but first arrived in the U.S. from ships docked in Mobile, Alabama.
©AOKSANG STUDIO/Shutterstock.com
When Did Red Imported Fire Ants Come to the U.S.?
Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta), also called RIFA for short, are native to Brazil and Argentina. However, they have made themselves at home across the U.S. ever since they were first discovered in Mobile, Alabama, in the 1930s. Experts think they came over on ships in soil used as ballast. In Brazil, the fire ant population is kept under control by natural predators, such as other insects or pathogens. Their numbers grow more rapidly in the U.S. because there are no natural predators.
Are Fire Ants More Aggressive Than Native Ant Species?
In a video posted to YouTube by mountainbikekayak, a man stops his bike ride along a forest path in North Carolina to check out several fire ant hills seen along the path. The ant hills are massive — much larger than those made by native species — indicating they belong to red imported fire ants. Fire ant mounds can grow up to 18 inches high and 24 inches in diameter. The bigger the ant hill, the larger the ant population inside the nest.
Imported fire ants have built large mounds along the Neuse River Trail in Clayton, North Carolina.
©mountainbikekayak / YouTube
The bike rider decides to show his audience exactly what can happen when someone disturbs one of these large ant hills. He pokes a large stick into one of the mounds several times, revealing a swarm of angry red fire ants. He’s careful to stand back as they all come pouring out, saying, “I’m watching my feet because they’re coming after me over here. That’s why I parked my bike over here, because they’ll come after it too.”
” data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/7d_eE89HJ6clbTZRtjs6bw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/a_z_animals_articles_974/6819a3d96cae448a0e388bcfb09f0ebc>
” src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/7d_eE89HJ6clbTZRtjs6bw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/a_z_animals_articles_974/6819a3d96cae448a0e388bcfb09f0ebc class=caas-img>
Thousands of fire ants came pouring out of the ground when their nest was disturbed.
©mountainbikekayak / YouTube – Original
The ants continue to swarm out, searching for the intruder that disturbed their nest. The man tells the camera, “They have taken over this area. We just haven’t had cold enough winters where the freeze has killed them.” He also said, “These are out in our local parks too.”
How Does the Social Structure of Fire Ants Work?
Fire ants, like other ant species, are socially complex insects with a queen and many workers that have varying jobs. Some workers take care of the nest, others care for the queen, and still others care for the eggs and larvae. The size of the nest indicates how many ants live there. A nest that is 18 inches high and 24 inches wide may contain around 200,000 ants. Although most colonies have one queen, scientists have noted that some colonies can have multiple queens.
Fire ants use pheromones to communicate with each other. When the colony is under threat, worker ants will send out alarm pheromones to alert the other members. This causes workers to swarm the threat, latching on with their mandibles and stinging multiple times.
How Do Fire Ants Spread?
In the spring, winged males and females leave their colonies to mate with other winged ants. The wind can carry them many miles from their original colony. After mating, the females head to the ground, lose their wings, lay their eggs, and form new colonies. Through this process, fire ants have spread from their original foothold in Alabama to other states.
Why Are Imported Fire Ants More Dangerous Than Native Ants?
Red imported fire ants are highly territorial and defensive of their nests and queens. They will aggressively protect the colony when disturbed by swarming and stinging the intruder. Their sting is venomous, causing painful blisters to form. Some people are severely allergic to the venom and may experience anaphylaxis, a condition in which their airways swell and it becomes difficult to breathe.
Fire ants may sting and harm pets and other animals. Often, animals, such as dogs, find themselves stung in the face from nosing around in an ant hill, causing their airways to swell. Fire ants will also prey on small animals such as lizards, birds that nest on the ground, and amphibians. Fire ants also damage electrical systems, leading to power outages and the need to replace equipment.
The post What Happens When a Man Pokes a Massive Fire Ant Hill? appeared first on A-Z Animals.
