Fire Ant Control

Protect Your Family from Tennessee’s Most Aggressive Pest

Fire ants have invaded Middle Tennessee, transforming our yards from safe havens into dangerous minefields of painful stings and aggressive swarms. These invasive pests aren’t just a nuisance—they’re a genuine threat to your family’s safety, your pets’ well-being, and your property’s value.

What Are Fire Ants?

Fire ants are not your typical Tennessee ant. These invasive South American pests (Solenopsis invicta) arrived in the U.S. through Alabama in the 1930s and have been aggressively expanding their territory ever since, reaching Middle Tennessee in recent decades.

Three Types of Fire Ants in Tennessee:

Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) – Solenopsis invicta (Most common)
Black Imported Fire Ant (BIFA) – Solenopsis richteri (Less common)
Hybrid Fire Ant (HIFA) – RIFA x BIFA cross (Increasing in frequency)

Why Fire Ants Are Different:

Unlike native Tennessee ants that flee when disturbed, fire ants attack in coordinated swarms. Within seconds of disturbing their mound, hundreds of workers rush out, climb vertical surfaces, and deliver multiple painful stings. This aggressive defense makes them one of Tennessee’s most dangerous residential pests.

Fire Ant Identification Chart

Category	Fire Ant Characteristics
Size	1/10 to 1/4 inch (workers vary in size within the same colony)
Body Color	Reddish-brown to reddish-black
Head Color	Distinct copper or bronze coloration
Gaster (Rear)	Often darker than the rest of the body
Antennae	10-segmented antenna with a 2-segmented club
Waist (Petiole)	2 distinct segments
Stinger	Visible stinger on the abdomen
Worker Types	Multiple worker sizes in the same colony (polymorphic)

Fire Ant Nest Identification Table

Feature	What to Look For
Entrance Holes	No visible entrance on top of the mound
Shape	Dome-shaped or flat-topped
Soil Appearance	Fresh, loose soil—especially after rain
Mound Size	6–18 inches wide, up to 18 inches tall
Common Locations	Open sunny lawns, sidewalks, driveways, foundations, landscaping beds
High-Risk Areas	Playgrounds, electrical boxes, HVAC units
Tunnel Depth	3–4 feet underground
Tunnel Spread	10+ feet outward from the mound
Colony Size	100,000–500,000 ants per mound

Treatment

Can I treat fire ants myself?

As noted, fire ants are extremely territorial; they will attack if threatened. Trying to treat a fire ant mound with granular pesticides with a do-it-yourself method not only may be ineffective, but this also puts you in danger of being attacked. If you spot a fire ant mound on your property, the best course of action is to contact a pest control professional who is trained to safely identify, treat and eliminate fire ant colonies. The University Tennesee says they can cause serious medical problems.

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