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Invasive species
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Red imported fire ant
RIFA is an ant native to the central part of South America. RIFA have invaded the United States and Caribbean islands as stowaways in containers and cargo carried by ships and planes since the 1940s, and by the 2000s had spread far from its origin to Australia, New Zealand, China and Taiwan.
How was RIFA ants brought in?
Where do they live today?
Red imported fire ants are native to the tropical areas of Central and South America, where they have an expansive geographical range that extends from southeastern Peru to central Argentina, and to the south of Brazil.
Where do they come from?
What do people do to control the population?
Currently, RIFA is found in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Puerto Rico.
What do we do to control the population of fire ants?
There are three main ways to control fire ants: granular baits, mound treatments, and broadcast insecticide treatments. When used properly, granular baits will usually give around 80% control. This means you will only have about 1/5 as many mounds as you would if you did not treat.
The black imported fire ant arrived around 1918 and the red fire ant in the late 1930s. Both species probably came in soil used as ballast in cargo ships.
How does it affect other animals?
Fun facts!
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Fire ants live in colonies, which can contain over 200,000 ants.
Fire ant colonies are typically comprised of female worker ants and one queen, who is responsible for laying the eggs.
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Red imported fire ant workers are variable in size (1/16 to 1/5 inch long) and are dark reddish brown. Our native southern fire ant is about the same size and color as the red imported fire ant.