Walking around outdoors can be a lot of fun. It becomes much less fun when fire ants are around. These pests love to build large nests around yards and are a serious threat to residents and local animals alike. If you recently spotted a fire ant hill in your yard, we are here to help. This is everything you need to know to avoid fire ants in West Palm Beach and the problems these pests cause for locals. Talk with our team at Empire Pest Defense if you cannot wait to be free of these stinging insects. We will walk you through what pest control in West Palm Beach looks like and schedule a service visit for your property to remove fire ants.
How To Identify A Fire Ant
Fire ants are one of the more unique-looking species in West Palm Beach. The most common species in our area is the red imported fire ant. This pest is ⅛ to ⅜” long, reddish brown, with a darker-colored abdomen. One good way to identify fire ants without getting too close is to look at their homes. While most local species build hills with a central hole, fire ants build their entry points around the base of their mounds. For further help identifying these pests on your property, bring in our team. We will inspect your property and determine what species are present and if they might invade your home.
Why Fire Ants Are Worse Than Other Ants
Before we talk about fire ant treatment in West Palm Beach, you should know a bit more about these pests. To start, fire ants are not like other local ant species. They possess the unique ability to bite and sting. When attacking a potential threat to their nest, these pests latch on with their powerful mandibles and use their stinger-tipped rear to inject venom as many times as possible. This is what leads to the red welts you find on your skin after being attacked by these aggressive insects. These can be especially severe if you are repeatedly stung by a swarm of fire ants. If you are allergic to the venom, this reaction could be much worse. Another reason why fire ants are such a big problem is the size of the mounds they build. These piles of dirt can damage healthy turf and leave dead spots in yards even after these pests are gone.
What Attracts Fire Ants To A Yard?
Fire ants are one of the few species in our area that almost never invade homes. They primarily live outdoors. The question is, where do fire ants come from, and what encourages them to choose a particular yard to build a nest? Mostly these local insects are motivated by nearby sources of food and warm, sunny, dry areas of dirt or turf. Fire ants eat a varied diet of the buds of fruits and many crop plants like corn, soybean, and okra. They also girdle young trees by nibbling at the bark. If your property offers tasty treats and a warm place to build, expect these pests to be around.
What Is The Best Way To Get Rid Of Fire Ants?
Do you want a simple way to remove and prevent West Palm Beach fire ants? We would like to provide this for you. At Empire Pest Defense, our team offers fast treatments to eliminate ant nests from your yard and ongoing pest control services to protect your home against invasion. With everything we do, we make sure that our clients are well-informed and have the absolute best chances possible to avoid troublesome pests year-round.
Call us now to find your solution to fire ants in West Palm Beach and get a quote for service.