From grubs to spiders to crickets, there are many pests that can infest your yard and cause problems. Some of them damage your well-maintained lawn, while others drive out beneficial bugs.
There’s one pest you might not be on the lookout for, though: ants. Fire ants, to be precise.
Fire ants can be a serious hazard, requiring a fire ant yard treatment to fix.
Fire ants aren’t as common as many other yard pests, but when they do arrive, you’ll want to drive them out as quickly as possible. You might be wondering why; what harm could a little ant do?
Read on to learn about fire ants and the threat they pose to your lawn and home, as well as how a fire ant yard treatment can protect you.
What Are Fire Ants?
Fire ants are a type of brightly colored red ant that originated in South America. This invasive species reached America in the 1930s, having stowed away in some cargo (which is why they’re called imported fire ants).
There are two kinds of imported fire ants: black fire ants and red fire ants. Both are dangerous.
Fire ants are most well-known for their aggression and their strong jaws. An angry fire ant will bite onto a person and hold tight while stinging them repeatedly.
Fire ant bites are painful enough, but the venom from a fire ant sting can also cause blisters and irritation long after the ant is gone. Small animals and children are particularly susceptible to these injuries.
These pests serve a fire ant queen and will act quickly to defend anything they perceive as a threat to that queen.
In addition to the physical pain a fire ant sting can inflict, the insects are bad for a variety of crops, such as corn and okra.
What Does Fire Ant Yard Treatment Entail?
One effective fire ant killer is, appropriately enough, water. Pouring boiling water into a fire ant mound is a good way to wipe out the ants, but there are a few problems with that treatment.
First, it means getting close to the mound, which could provoke the ants to attack. Second, wiping out a single mound won’t necessarily fix your fire ant problem; surviving ants will simply start a new mound nearby.
That’s why a professional fire ant yard treatment is much safer than trying to handle the problem yourself. Search online for “Pest Control Near Me” and look for exterminators who can handle fire ants.
Most pest control experts rely on insecticides like avermectin, which is a potent fire ant killer. They locate fire ant mounds and place the insecticide nearby in the form of bait.
The ants will take the bait back to the fire ant queen; the avermectin will either kill the queen or stop her from reproducing, leading the mound to die out.
Keep Your Yard Safe From Fire Ants
A fire ant yard treatment is a safe and effective way to rid yourself of a dangerous yard pest. Hiring a professional for the treatment ensures that the ants will be fully driven out, with none left to start a new infestation.
Once you have your yard in order, why not work on upgrading your house? Visit our home improvement blog for ideas on the best ways to repair and renovate your home.