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 * Insects and Arthropods
 * Red Imported Fire Ant


RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT

Insects and Arthropods



SCIENTIFIC NAME

Solenopsis invicta

 


HISTORY

The red imported fire ant (RIFA) is native to the state of Mato Grosso in
Brazil. It was introduced into the United States at Mobile, Alabama, about 1940.
The exact date and method of introduction is not known. It spread rapidly
through the southeastern U.S. during the 1940s and '50s and is presently found
in 13 states from southern North Carolina and Florida west to portions of
California. The first infestation found in Oklahoma was in the Waurika area of
Jefferson County in July, 1985. Surveys during the fall of 1985 found single
colonies in Bryan, Marshall, and McCurtain Counties along the southeastern edge
of the state. The RIFA has continued to spread to the north and west. As of
2007, it has been found in over 40 counties as far north as Tulsa, Payne, and
Blaine Counties and as far west as Jackson County. Many of these infestations
are thought to be associated with movement of nursery stock and/or turf. Many of
the more northern infestations are in small, isolated areas, usually in cities.
Many of these have been treated and it is not known if all of these areas
currently have active infestations. Some widespread, active infestations are
present in the southeastern counties, especially from Love County to McCurtain
County along the southern edge of the state. 

 


DESCRIPTION

The RIFA is a small ant with workers varying from 1/8 to 1/ 4 inch long. It is
usually dark reddish brown in color and has two nodes on the petiole and a
two-segmented antennal club. They are similar in appearance to many of our
common house and field ants and are especially difficult to distinguish from the
Southern fire ant (Solenopsis xyloni), which is native to most areas of
Oklahoma. 

 


LIFE HISTORY

New colonies are formed by one (or more) winged, mated females (queens)
following a mating flight. The mated queens find suitable nesting sites, shed
their wings, and begin digging underground chambers in which to lay eggs. The
first eggs and larvae are cared for by the queen. They emerge as small workers
after 3 to 4 weeks. Thereafter, the workers care for the queen and the brood,
forage for food, and expand the nest. 

 

An undisturbed colony can increase in size rapidly and may contain 10,000 or
more workers after one year. Winged reproductives will also be produced sometime
in the second half of the first year. A mature colony (3 years old) may contain
100,000 to 500,000 workers and several hundred winged forms. 

 

Mounds. As the workers extend the nest, the excavated soil is brought to the
surface and a mound begins to develop. The mound may be small and inconspicuous
for the first year or more, especially in sandy areas. In soils with
considerable clay content, the mounds often reach 12 inches high and 12 or more
inches across. Mounds in sandy soils are flatter and wider. The mounds are not
denuded of vegetation and may have grass growing up through them. Each mound has
several foraging tunnels that extend in all directions away from the mound just
under the soil surface. These have openings to the surface at irregular
intervals and may extend outward for 200-300 feet The RIFA will nest in almost
any type of soil but mounds are not common in heavily wooded areas. They prefer
open, sunny areas such as pastures, parks, lawns, meadows, and cultivated
fields.

 

Spread. Imported fire ants spread naturally during their mating flights. This
spread is usually one mile or less but flights of up to 12 miles have been
recorded. The flights occur most commonly in the spring or early summer, one or
two days after a rain when the weather is warm and sunny and the wind is light.
The ants can also float downstream in masses or on debris during floods. The
RIFA is also spread by man. The winged females appear to be attracted to shiny
objects and will sometimes settle on cars, trucks, railroad cars, etc. in large
numbers. These ants can be carried for long distances as the vehicles move from
place to place. Ants can also be moved with nursery stock or grass sod and in
soil on soil-moving equipment. The spread of the RIFA is likely to be limited by
dry conditions to the west and by cold temperatures to the north. These factors
may operate to cause this species to be only an intermittent problem in southern
Oklahoma. However, there are some indications that it may be able to survive in
most of the same areas as our native fire ant and the eventual limits of its
distribution are uncertain at this time. It seems likely that we will have
mounds of RIFA found along the southern tier of counties each year. Incidence
and numbers will likely vary from year to year based on winter temperatures and
spring/summer heat and moisture conditions. A cold winter followed by a drier
than normal spring and a hot, dry summer would likely reduce the possibility of
ant survival.

 


ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

The most important problem with the Rl FA is its sting. The workers can sting
repeatedly and attack anything that disturbs their mounds or food sources.
Symptoms of the sting include burning and itching, followed by the development
of a pustule that may take a week or more to heal. Scratching these pustules can
lead to secondary bacterial infections and can leave permanent scars. As usual
with insect stings, certain persons are hypersensitive to fire ant venom and may
suffer chest pains or nausea or lapse into a coma from one sting. Birds and
small animals can be harmed, or occasionally killed, by fire ant stings. They
will also sting poultry and domestic animals. The presence of fire ants in crops
or gardens may prevent hand picking of fruits and vegetables because of the
threat of stings. The presence of mounds may damage harvesting equipment. In
cities, fire ants sometimes nest in electrical circuitry, and they have been
known to short out air conditioners, get in telephone junction boxes, traffic
and light control boxes, and in transformers. They sometimes nest under
sidewalks or highways and as the colony dies out, the area of the nest will sink
and cause a pot hole. Damage to plants occurs under some conditions. They will
feed on germinating seeds, causing damage to corn and soybeans. They also feed
on buds and developing fruits of crops such as beans, berries, okra, and citrus.
They may girdle young trees in an attempt to find a source of water. Fire ants
also feed on the honeydew produced by aphids. They often tend aphids on plants
and the aphids damage the plants by their feeding activities. 

 


CONTROL

In general, nonchemical methods are ineffective against fire ants. Digging up or
tilling mounds usually results in dispersal of ants or movement of nests;
however, boiling water is reportedly a fairiy effective treatment for individual
ant mounds. Approximately 3 gallons of hot water poured on a mound will
eliminate nests about 60% of the time. Surviving nests would need retreatment.
This method may work in certain situations, but care must be taken not to pour
hot water on desired plants. Also extreme care should be exercised when handling
large volumes of hot water to avoid serious burns. 

 

Best control has been achieved with chemical treatment of nests and surrounding
areas. Usually, the best control will be obtained if treatment is made within 2
or 3 hours after sunrise or within a couple of hours of sundown. Individual
mounds can be treated using drenches, surface sprays, granules, or baits.
Because these ants can make deep gallery systems, drenching usually achieves
more reliable results than surface sprays. An easy effective method to drench a
mound is to use a liquid insecticide diluted in water (per label directions) and
applied from a sprinkling can. Thoroughly wet the center of the mound with 2-3
quarts of drench. Allow a few minutes for this to soak into the soil then use 1
-2 gallons of drench over the rest of the nest. After allowing this to soak in a
few minutes, pour the remainder of the drench (1 -2 quarts) in the center of the
nest. Insecticide granules can be sprinkled on the top of and around a mound.
These should be applied at rates specified on the product label. Treatment
should be followed by a gentle watering of the mound. Please contact your local
county extension office for current information. 

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Imported Fire
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