How do I get rid of Fire ants?

Fire ants are aggressive, stinging ants that build underground colonies and form visible mounds. Both native fire ants and imported red fire ants behave the same way and respond to the same treatments.

Look for loose, fluffy soil mounds with no central opening, along with fast‑moving reddish‑brown ants that swarm aggressively when disturbed.

After heavy rain or irrigation, fire ants push their nests above ground to keep the colony dry. This is why mounds suddenly appear overnight.

Not always. In dry conditions, colonies stay deeper underground and may not form visible mounds. Trails and scattered soil may be the only signs.

Yes. In warm climates fire ants are active all year.

In areas that experience cold winters they go deeper underground when temperatures drop, but they don’t die off — they come back as soon as it warms up.

There’s no real off-season with fire ants.

If you live in an area where they’re established, year-round management is the most effective approach.

Both will sting and both can cause serious reactions, so neither should be taken lightly.

The imported red fire ant originally from Brazil is the more aggressive and problematic of the two.

Native fire ant colonies typically number around 20 to 50 mounds per acre. Imported red fire ant colonies can reach up to 500 mounds per acre — each with its own queen. That density is what makes imported red fire ants such a serious pest problem.

The good news is that both species respond to the same treatment approach.

Imported red fire ants can have multiple queens per colony and hundreds of colonies per acre, which allows them to spread and establish new mounds rapidly.

Each queen can produce new workers continuously, which is why populations rebuild so quickly after treatment.

This is also why a soil barrier like imidacloprid is so important — without it, new colonies from surrounding areas move right back in.

They can appear anywhere, but they often establish first near trees, sidewalks, driveways, or concrete pads where the soil stays warmer and drier. That said, they’ll also pop up right in the middle of an open lawn with no obvious reason.

Making it a routine habit to scan your yard for mounds or foraging activity — especially after rain when mounds become more visible — is the most practical way to catch them early before populations build up.

Yes. Children are at higher risk because of their smaller body size — a large number of stings relative to body weight increases the severity of a reaction significantly.

Young children also don’t have the instinct to move away quickly when they disturb a mound.

The same applies to elderly people, people with disabilities, and anyone who may not be able to react and move fast.

Pets can also be seriously harmed. In yards where children or pets spend time, regular fire ant monitoring and treatment isn’t optional — it’s a safety issue.

Yes. Fire ants bite to anchor themselves, then sting multiple times. Their stings can cause burning, itching, and small white pustules.

Yes — more than most people realize.

Fire ants don’t sting once, they sting repeatedly, and a single disturbance can result in dozens of stings in seconds.

Reactions vary widely from mild irritation to life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Children are especially vulnerable because of their small body size. The elderly and people with disabilities face elevated risk as well, but even a healthy adult can have a severe allergic reaction.

If someone is stung many times or shows signs of a serious reaction — difficulty breathing, swelling, dizziness — call 911 immediately and don’t wait to see if it gets better.

Leave the pustules alone — do not pop them and do not scratch them.

Popping or scratching increases the risk of infection and scarring.

Calamine lotion can help relieve the itching.

If the urge to scratch is overwhelming, try slapping the area instead — it can provide some relief without breaking the skin.

If you experience anything beyond localized irritation, seek medical attention right away.

Advion Fire Ant Bait is the best fire ant bait. It’s what pest control professionals use.

No. Both species respond to the same baits and the same treatment plan.

If the bait gets wet from rain, dew, or irrigation, the ants won’t take it. Dry conditions are the #1 factor in whether baiting works.

Advion is extremely concentrated — the rate is only 1.5 lbs per acre.

Imidacloprid creates a long‑lasting soil barrier that fire ants struggle to cross. After rain or irrigation, the granules dissolve into the soil and form a zone fire ants can’t tunnel through.

You can, but it’s less effective. Broadcasting bait across the lawn works better because it hits all the foraging workers, not just the mound you see.

Sprays kill the ants you see but don’t reach the colony. Fire ants have deep tunnels and multiple queens, so sprays alone don’t solve the problem.

Use caution. Advion Fire Ant Bait has a greasy, oily quality that makes it highly attractive to fire ants — but that same quality can attract some dogs too.

Don’t leave your dog unsupervised in a treated area until the ants have had a chance to pick up the bait and carry it back to the nest.

Once the bait is gone you don’t have to worry about it anymore.

As with any pest control product, keep pets away from freshly treated areas and always follow the product label.

Early morning or late afternoon, when ants are actively foraging and the ground is dry.

If the bait gets wet before the ants pick it up, you’ll need to reapply once everything dries out.

You’ll see activity drop within a few days, but full colony collapse can take 1–2 weeks depending on colony size.

Fire ants constantly spread from surrounding areas. Without a soil barrier (like imidacloprid), new colonies can move in.

After baiting, apply imidacloprid granules. Once dissolved by rain or irrigation, they create a soil barrier that fire ants can’t cross.

Bait every few months if activity returns. The imidacloprid barrier can last much longer, depending on soil and weather.

No — mowing doesn’t interfere with baiting or soil treatments. Just avoid watering right after applying bait.

Yes. Their tunneling can disturb root systems, create uneven soil, and kill patches of grass around active mounds.

Yes. They may enter during droughts, heavy rain, or when searching for food and moisture. Outdoor baiting is the best way to stop indoor activity.

They can knock down visible ants, but they won’t eliminate the colony. Treating outdoors is what actually solves the problem.

Yes, and this is a commonly overlooked entry point.

Fire ants frequently nest in the gaps where two concrete slabs meet — where a back door meets the patio slab, where a pool deck meets the foundation, or where a home addition was built against the original structure.

These joints create a protected void right at ground level that fire ants love.

If you’re finding fire ants inside your home near a door, along a baseboard, or near a pool area, check where any slabs meet the foundation.

You have two good options.

First, you can apply Advion Fire Ant Bait along the joint and let workers carry it back to the colony.

Second, you can spray imidacloprid along the joint and make sure it soaks in thoroughly — you want good penetration into the gap, not just surface coverage.

For persistent entry points like where a pool deck, addition, or patio slab meets the home, doing both gives you the best results.

Bait first to knock down the colony, then soak the joint with imidacloprid to create a long lasting barrier.