Red Imported Fire Ants are known to give a painful, persistently irritating sting that often leaves a pustule on the skin. They usually build their nests underground. Often their nests look like hills of dirt about the size of a dinner plate and several inches high. They are crafty with the placement of their nests, and they burrow under sidewalks or roads, in open areas such as farm fields, playgrounds, or yards, or in woods and fields in natural areas. They will not only forage for food such as small insects, dead animals, and sweet materials such as plant secretions but will kill insects and small animals and feed on them. There are two kinds of Red Imported Fire Ants; the single-queen and multiple-queen types. Workers in single-queen colonies are territorial, foraging only within their territory. Workers from multiple, queen colonies are not territorial; they freely move from one mound to another, which results in a dramatic increase in the number of mounds per acre. Areas infested with single-queen colonies contain 40-150 mounds per acre and more than 7 million ants per acre. In areas with multiple-queen colonies, there may be 200 or more mounds and 40 million Red Imported Fire Ants per acre.
| Common name | Red Imported Fire Ants |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Solenopsis Invicta |
| Size | Worker ants 3-4 mm Sexually matured 6-7 mm |
| Colour | Red |
| Shape | Segmented; oval |
| Habitat | Mounds of soil,cracks in walls and foundations |
| Life span | Worker ants 30 -180 days Queen ant 2-6 years |
LIFE CYCLE:The Red Imported Queen Fire Ant can produce up to 1,600 eggs per day. These ants are small ant with workers measuring varying from 3-7 mm long. It is usually dark reddish brown in color. Workers have10 segments, queens have 11 and males have12 segments.
Larva: A twin- joined club at the end of the funicular is present in workers and queens, and the second and third segments of the funiculars are twice as long and broad in larger workers.
Pupa:The lifespan of Red Imported Fire Ants workers depends on their size. Minor workers may live for 30 to 60 days, medium workers for 60 to 90 days, major workers for 90 to 180 days, and queens may live for two to six years. The complete lifecycle, from egg to adult takes between 22 and 38 days.
DAMAGESThe lifespan of Red Imported Fire Ants workers depends on their size. Minor workers may live for 30 to 60 days, medium workers for 60 to 90 days, major workers for 90 to 180 days, and queens may live for two to six years. The complete lifecycle, from egg to adult takes between 22 and 38 days.
