Home >> Science & Nature >> Insects & Science

How to Draw Fire Ants

A fire ants' namesake comes from the nasty, burning sting that it delivers once provoked. The ants sense one another's pheromones causing them to sting at the same time, which makes the victim believe that the attacked body part is on fire. The fire ant is an aggressive, non-native, species that is quickly spreading throughout the U.S. The best way to prevent the ants from spreading is to draw the insects to an insecticide or anther from of pest control.

Things You'll Need

Bait with insecticide
Meat, raw or cooked
Pesticide

Instructions

- 1
  Place the meat within a close proximity of a fire ant mound, but not directly on it. The ants will make an appearance almost immediately in highly infested areas. For areas with less dense fire ant populations, you may have to wait up to an hour for a significant showing of ants.
- 2
  Dump the insecticide or other approved chemical of choice on the swarm of ants. If you are using a product that kills on contact, it should kill almost all the ants. Other chemicals work by either slowly killing the ants so that the ants exposed to the poison take it to the rest of the colony to reduce the insects. Other chemicals target reproduction in the ants, and prevent them from producing viable offspring.
- 3
  Place bait near the remaining fire ant mounds. Use the chemical product to help reduce fire ant populations.
- 4
  Bait and poison any new ant mounds that may appear afterward. You may not be able to eradicate the ants completely, but making sure they do not have a chance to get their numbers up can greatly reduce the chance of getting bitten.

Insects & Science