Fire Ants

– Look for dome-shaped dirt mounds in yards.
– Watch for many small red ants fleeing a mound.
– Feel sharp burning stings if you step on mounds.

Two-step method: broadcast slow-acting bait (workers carry to queen) followed by individual mound drench or granular treatment 1–2 weeks later; repeat inspection and treatment as colonies relocate. Bait is spread so workers carry it to the queen. Killing the queen ends the whole colony. Single mounds get a direct soaking treatment too. Mounds often move, so repeat checks are needed.

We bait the yard, then treat active mounds. We recheck and retreat as colonies move.

– Treat mounds promptly before they grow large and workers spread.

– Wear closed-toe shoes and long pants when working in lawns and gardens.

– Apply yard-wide broadcast bait twice yearly (spring and fall) for population suppression.

– Check outdoor electrical equipment boxes, which fire ants frequently colonize.

– Carry an epinephrine auto-injector if any household member has a venom allergy.

– Apply yard bait in spring and fall.

– Keep play areas and fences clear of mounds.

– Wear shoes and long pants when working yards.

– Move mulch away from play spots and patios.

Open, sunny areas: lawns, pastures, roadsides, and landscaped beds; builds characteristic dome-shaped mounds; colony size 100,000–500,000 workers with multiple queens in polygyne colonies. Fire ants build raised dirt mounds in sunny yards. Lawns, fields, and garden beds are favorite spots. Each mound can hold many thousands of ants. Step too close and the whole mound pours out fast.

Fire-ants are common in Austin lawns and parks. They form many mounds in sunny, dry spots.