Red Imported Fire Ant

Natural Habitat

Open areas such as lawns, pastures, and roadsides where they build dome-shaped mounds of soil.

Diet & Feeding

Omnivorous; they eat plant seeds, fruits, honeydew, and other insects or small vertebrates.

Behavior Patterns

Aggressive defenders of their colonies; they swarm and sting in mass when the mound is disturbed. They are highly social and organized into castes (workers, queens, and drones).

Risks & Benefits

Risks include painful stings that can cause allergic reactions in humans and pets. They are an invasive species that disrupts local ecosystems. Benefits include aeration of soil and predation of certain agricultural pests like boll weevils.

Identified on: 3/1/2026