How Fire Ants Kill And Damage Plants And Lawns

Fire ants are a variation of stinging ants that damage vegetables, gardens and lawns. Unlike other species, this insecct has copper brown head and darker abdomen.The worker ants are blackish to red. The Fire Ants that is commonly found on lawns are the Little Black Ants.

They make craters of very fine soil around their nest opening. There are four stages to the life cycle of hormigas coloradas, one of the monikers of fireants.

The first stage is the egg, and then it matures into larva. From there, it becomes pupa, before it finally reaches the adult stage.

The fertilized eggs produce female fire ant, from where queen, workers and soldiers hail. The unfertilized eggs produce the male ants. Except for the queen’s egg, which is larger, all eggs are oval-shaped with 1 mm long.

The larvae do not have eyes and legs, and eat food spewed by the Adult Ants. As they grow in size, the larvae start to shed their skin and spin a cocoon similar to silk. Pupation takes place until they emerge into adults, whose life cycle lasts from 6 to 10 weeks.

Fireants create mounds on the surface that can damage the grass and lawns. The tunneling that they create beneath the ground disturbs the roots of the grass and plants. In turn, it dries up the soil, causing the grass to thin out.

Sometimes, the nest becomes large enough to cause damage to the lawn. In mowing the lawns, the mounds can damage the mower blades.

First introduced to the United States from South America more than 70 years ago, the ants also build nests around trees, stumps and even under buildings.

When they nest under buildings, the electrical equipment and utility housing can be damaged. The infliction of their damage encompasses even seedlings and citrus trees. Besides lawns, lawn pests also damage athletic fields, parks, playground and flowerbeds.

Occasionally,the ants feed on seeds, and cause serious damage to many plants by making tunnels in Roots and Stems . They are also known to girdle some ornamental plants. When they chew on young fruits and vegetables, they reduce their quality.

Just like any other ants, the hormigas colorados protect certain species of pest insects which produce honeydew, thereby, rendering low the quality of garden produce and lawn. If the lawn is under integrated pest management practices, the mounds of the ants can interfere and feed on important biological control agents present in the lawn.

Do Fire Ants Kill?

Its no secret that ants have painful stings, but can fire ants kill people? Yes, it is possible for the insect to seriously harm or kill you. For example, if you are allergic to their bite you could go into shock.

Children and the elderly are most at risk from the insect however, death is very rare. In their natural environment the insect often kill and and harm young or injured animals and bugs.

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