INVASIVE SPECIES OF THE WEEK:
FIRE ANTS
WHERE ARE THEY FROM:
South America, Introduced in 1929 to Mobile, Alabama. They fire ants stowed away a cargo ship.
WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE:
- They range in size from 1/16 to 1/5 inch long.
- Their coloring is Dark reddish brown, with a darker abdomen.
- Mounds 15 inches in diameter and up to 5 feet deep.
They are very aggressive!!!
WHAT THEY ARE:
Fire ants are stinging ants with a powerful bite. Fire ants have a sting that injects venom, as well as mandibles (Lower jab bone).
Fire ants only bite you to get a decent grip, they actually sting you from the abdomen. The venom they inject is called solenosin a toxic alkaloid venom (comes from a poison gland).
WHY THEY ARE BAD:
Fire ants cause a whole lot of damage.
- $5 billion in US dollars are spent on
medical treatment and damage
- $750 million in damage annually for:
crop damage and loss,
livestock loss
WHAT CAN YOU DO:
Fire Ants have no natural enemies - that is why it was so easy for them to take over.
If you find yourself with a patch of red ants, don't touch, poke, mess with or throw innocent insects into their hole. They will come after you. If you get bitten it is a pretty significant pain.
Here are some natural ways to ward off fire ants,
- Salt
- worm castings --> effective plant fertilizer
- phorid flyies
- Lemon juice
- Cayenne pepper
- Equal parts white vinegar and water
- Orange peels pureed with water
- Corn meal
- Baking soda and vinegar
Resources:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_ant
ehow.com : http://www.ehow.com/about_5068483_natural-ways-kill-fire-ants.html
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