Do Red Imported Fire Ants Sting? Are They Dangerous?
Short answer: the red imported fire ant can cause medically significant bites, stings or disease. Fire ant stings burn, form white pustules, and can cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive people.
Risk rating: Health risk
Fire ant stings burn, form white pustules, and can cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive people.
Are red imported fire ants dangerous to humans?
Fire ant stings burn, form white pustules, and can cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive people.
On our four-level scale, the red imported fire ant is rated health risk, meaning it can cause medically significant bites, stings or disease. Red Imported Fire Ants can bite and can sting, so it is worth handling them with care.
Are they dangerous to pets?
Red Imported Fire Ants can bite or sting curious pets that paw at them or try to eat them. Watch for swelling, drooling or limping, and call your veterinarian right away if your pet has trouble breathing or a large reaction.
Can they damage your home or garden?
Red Imported Fire Ants don't damage homes, though nests in walls or eaves are a stinging hazard.
What to do if you are stung
- Move away from the area to avoid more stings.
- If a stinger is left in the skin, scrape it out sideways with a fingernail or card.
- Wash with soap and water and apply a cold pack.
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever or antihistamine if needed, following the label.
Call 911 right away if someone has trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, dizziness or a racing heartbeat after a bite or sting.
Fire ant stings burn, form white pustules, and can cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive people.
How to identify red imported fire ants
A small, aggressive reddish-brown ant that builds dome-shaped mounds of loose soil in sunny lawns and fields across the southern US. When disturbed, workers swarm and sting repeatedly.
- Mixed sizes of copper-red workers in one colony
- Loose, fluffy dirt mounds with no central opening
- Swarms quickly up legs when the mound is disturbed
| Scientific name | Solenopsis invicta |
|---|---|
| Group | Ants |
| Size | 2–6 mm (up to about 0.24 in) |
| Colors | Red and Brown |
| Legs | 6 legs |
| Wings | No (as usually seen) |
| Where found | Lawn or grass and Yard or patio |
| Most active | Spring, Summer and Fall |
| Bites | Yes |
| Stings | Yes |
| Risk level | Health risk |
When you'll see red imported fire ants
Red Imported Fire Ants are most active in spring, summer and fall. In spring, overwintering adults become active and many species lay their first eggs. Summer heat speeds up development, so populations can grow quickly. In fall, many bugs look for shelter, and some move toward or into buildings.
Typical places to check: lawn or grass and yard or patio.
About ants
The red imported fire ant is one of the ants. Ants live in colonies ruled by one or more egg-laying queens. The workers you see are sterile females foraging for the rest of the colony, so killing visible ants rarely solves anything. Winged ants, called swarmers, appear when a mature colony sends out new kings and queens.
Bait works because workers carry it back and share it with the queen and larvae. Repellent sprays can scatter the colony and make the problem harder to fix.
How to avoid problems with red imported fire ants
- Broadcast a fire ant bait across the yard in warm, dry weather
- Treat individual mounds a few days after baiting
- Wear boots and avoid standing on or near mounds
Frequently asked questions
Do red imported fire ants bite?
Yes. Fire ant stings burn, form white pustules, and can cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive people.
Do red imported fire ants sting?
Yes, they can sting.
Are red imported fire ants poisonous?
The red imported fire ant can cause medically significant bites, stings or disease. Fire ant stings burn, form white pustules, and can cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive people.
Where do red imported fire ants live?
Red Imported Fire Ants are usually found in lawns and grass and in yards and on patios, and are most active in spring, summer and fall.