Houston Fire Ant Control

Fire ants are a particularly unpleasant species of ants that were accidentally introduced to the United States from South America in the 1930s. Fire ants are thought to have first come in through Mobile, Alabama and since their introduction have spread across the southern United States, from Maryland all the way to Texas. In Houston, we unfortunately have plenty of them. As nice as it would be to eliminate this invasive species from all of Texas, fire ants look like they're a permanent part of the Houston landscape, and controlling fire ants is the only option Houston residents have.

Fire ants are also dangerous. Unlike most ant species, fire ants have a vicious bite. Fire ants will inject their venom into their victims, creating a highly painful sensation like being on fire - which is how these pesky ants got their name. When fire ants feel they are under threat, they have been known to swarm, at times completely covering their attacker. The toxins from these swarms can easily kill small animals, and can cause toxic shock and even death in humans.

Getting Rid of Fire Ants

To get rid of fire ants, you have to kill the queen. The queen is the only member of the colony that lays eggs, and if she is left alive even after the rest of the colony is destroyed she can quickly repopulate the colony. But killing the queen is no easy task.

Fire ants build distinctive mounds that resemble loosely piled mounds of earth. But the real fire ant colony lies beneath the ground, where the queen can be buried as much as six feet underground. Fire ants have also recently developed a new adaptation and have been seen to live in “supercolonies”, where multiple colonies are connected underground, and these colonies have multiple queens.

Professional Fire Ant Removal

The best thing to do when dealing with fire ants is to call a professional exterminator. Fire ants are dangerous to deal with, extremely resilient and unless the queen is removed the colony can spring back to full strength in just a few weeks. A professional exterminator will know what to use to get rid of fire ants, how to use it safely, and how to know when the queen is gone.

When you need to get fire ants off of your property, call Bulls Eye Pest Control at 713.222.PEST (7378). Bulls Eye Pest Control is a family owned and operated, fully licensed pest control and exterminator service. We serve the entire Greater Houston area.