Fire ants are aggressive, invasive, and medically significant. Their simultaneous multi-sting attack can cause anaphylactic shock in sensitive individuals. Emergency Exterminators connects you with local fire ant specialists who use the two-step method — broadcast bait plus individual mound treatment — for comprehensive yard protection.
Free service · Written estimate first
Fire ants present different situations depending on whether they are in the yard, entering the home, or in a high-risk area where people or pets are frequently present.
Dome-shaped mounds of loose, granular soil — often appearing after rain. Can reach 18 inches tall and house 100,000-500,000 workers. Multiple mounds in a yard indicate a significant population requiring yard-wide treatment.
Fire ants entering the home through cracks in the foundation, around pipes, and through door seals. Occurs in dry or hot weather when they seek moisture and food. Requires indoor perimeter treatment in addition to yard treatment.
Fire ants are attracted to electrical equipment and frequently nest inside electrical boxes, HVAC units, and junction boxes. Can cause equipment failure and fire hazards. Requires specialized treatment.
Fire ant mounds in public areas where children play are a significant liability. Rapid professional treatment and documentation is critical for public spaces.
Dogs and small animals can receive hundreds of stings from disturbing a mound. Pets cannot signal an allergic reaction — if any pet has been stung multiple times, contact a vet immediately.
Larger properties with significant fire ant pressure require whole-property broadcast bait treatment in addition to individual mound treatment for cost-effective control.
Catching a fire ants problem early makes treatment faster, easier, and more cost-effective.
Understanding what professional treatment involves helps you know what to expect and why it works where DIY fails.
Fire ant bait scattered across the entire yard is carried by forager ants to the queen. Eliminates the entire colony from the source — not just the mound. Works within 1-2 weeks.
Applied in addition to broadcast bait for immediate knockdown of high-risk mounds near play areas, walkways, and entry points. Contact kill within 24-72 hours.
For fire ants entering the home, interior perimeter treatment plus exterior foundation treatment prevents indoor foraging while the yard broadcast bait eliminates the source colonies.
Follow-up inspection confirms colony elimination. New mounds emerging from surviving portions of the colony are treated during the follow-up visit.
Typical cost ranges to help you plan. Always get a written estimate before any treatment begins.
Prices vary by location, severity, and home size. Emergency service may carry additional charges. Written estimate always required before treatment begins.
After professional treatment, these steps keep fire ants from coming back.
Connected with a local specialist in 3 steps — free, fast, no obligation.
Available 24/7 including nights, weekends, and holidays. Describe the pest and your ZIP code. Under 60 seconds.
We connect you with a pest control professional already serving your ZIP who knows local pest species and seasonal patterns.
Exterminator arrives, identifies the pest, gives a written estimate before treatment. You approve — they treat. No obligation to proceed.
Real answers homeowners need — before, during, and after treatment.
Remove the person from the area immediately — fire ants continue to sting. Brush ants off rather than slap — slapping presses the stingers in deeper. Wash the sting sites with soap and water. Apply ice for 10-15 minutes to reduce swelling. Take an antihistamine. Watch carefully for 30 minutes for anaphylaxis signs: hives spreading beyond the sting area, difficulty breathing, throat tightening, dizziness, or nausea. These are medical emergencies — call 911 immediately. If the person has a known fire ant or insect venom allergy — use the EpiPen and call 911 even if symptoms seem mild.
Fire ants (primarily Solenopsis invicta, the Red Imported Fire Ant) are established across the southern tier of the US — from Florida to California and as far north as Virginia, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. They are also established in parts of New Mexico, Arizona, and increasingly in California. They prefer open, sunny areas and do not survive sustained freezing temperatures, which limits their northern range. If you are seeing fire ant-style mounds in the North, they may be a local aggressive species — a specialist can confirm.
Individual mound treatment provides 24-72 hour knockdown of the treated colony. Broadcast bait takes 1-2 weeks to eliminate the colonies it contacts as workers carry it back to the queens. Protection from a single treatment typically lasts 2-6 months depending on rainfall, new queen establishment from neighboring properties, and local fire ant pressure. Areas with high fire ant pressure typically benefit from bi-annual treatments.
If you put a retail product or home remedy on a mound and the mound appeared to move to a new location, the treatment killed surface ants but did not reach the queen and deeper colony. The colony re-established a few feet away. This is the fundamental problem with mound-only treatment — the colony is much larger than the visible mound, and treatment must reach the queen to be effective. Professional broadcast bait reaches queens through worker ants carrying it back.
Local pest control specialists in your ZIP code. Same-day service in most areas. Written estimate before treatment — no surprises, no obligation.
Same-day available · Written estimate first · All 50 states · Free referral service