They thrive in warm temperatures and prefer areas that receive unobstructed sunlight. Infested open spaces such as yards, fields, and parks are common. After a significant amount of rain, mounds can seemingly appear out of nowhere.
Colonies are made up of workers who perform the roles of nursery workers, defenses and food gatherers for the colony. Winged male and female ants emerge from the colony after it has been established. In order to start new colonies, they must leave the colony and mate. After a successful mating flight, a fertilized fire ant queen lands and sheds her wings.
Worker ants accompany the departure of one fire ant queen from her multiple-queen colony. Because it will be nearby, the new mound’s presence will help the colony grow. It’s not uncommon to see tens of thousands of fire ants on the move at once.
The vast majority of workers and soldiers are fiercely loyal to their queens. Toxic alkaloid poison is injected into their victims by fire ant stings. Most people are hurt by the sting, and smaller animals can die as a result. Emergency medical services should be contacted right away if a victim starts sweating, feels sick, or starts itching uncontrollably.
