Take Care of Those Pesky Tawny Ants and Fire Ants

Ants are a major problem whether they are inside of your home or taking over the backyard, and they can do quite a bit more damage than just ruining your picnic. Some types of ants tend to be far more trouble than the others are, including fire ants and tawny ants, also called raspberry ants. They even have the potential to be dangerous if you do not take care of them immediately. It’s important to understand a bit more about these troublesome pests to see why you really do need to make sure they are not on your property.

What Are Tawny Ants?

tawny ant is a relatively new invasive species to the area, and it is already causing quite a bit of consternation among those who are finding them on their property. They have massive colonies numbering into the millions. They have bodies that are about an eighth of an inch long with a reddish brown appearance. Another term for these ants is “crazy ant” because they crawl in erratic patterns and very rapidly. These types of ants do not have the typical nest mound either. Instead, they have their colonies beneath debris, rocks, fallen trees, timber, and similar items.

The ants can bite humans and animals, and they have been known to kill small livestock via asphyxia. They have also attacked larger animals around the eyes and the nasal passages. The tawny ants, which tend to gather in large masses, can also cause short circuits in electrical equipment. They can also clog the switching mechanisms. These ants will also eat nearly anything since they are omnivorous, and this means that if you have a colony of tawny ants on your property, they will likely make their way into your home at some point.

The colonies grow in the spring, and by the middle of the summer, there may be millions of worker ants in the colony. The numbers remain high until late fall.

What Are Fire Ants?

Fire ants are a huge problem in the area, and if you have them on your property, you need to remove them as soon as possible. These red insects are able to sting and inject venom into your skin that is very painful. The sting can cause swelling, redness, pain and blisters filled with pus that can last for up to eight days. Some people may be allergic to the stings, and this can cause the throat to swell, difficulty breathing, and an elevated heart rate.

The ants build large colonies in the dirt, and they tend to place those colonies in grassy areas, which just might be your backyard. They do not have a typical mound though, which might make them difficult to spot. Similar to the tawny ants, they will try to start their colonies under rocks, logs, and similar items. If those items aren’t available, they will create a mound.

Once they have a foothold on your property, they tend to take over quickly. They can be harmful to both people and animals, as they tend to be far more aggressive than other ant species are.

Getting Rid of Your Ant Problem

Tawny ants and fire ants can be quite a menace, as you can see. You do not have to let them take over your property though. Be proactive and contact us the minute you see any sign of these ants so we can evaluate the problem and provide you with the help you need. When you use the experts from Dugas Pest Control for your problem, you can be sure your family, your pets, and your picnics will be ant free.