Fire ant control that reaches the queens

Fire ants build soft, fluffy dirt mounds in sunny turf and irrigated areas, usually with no visible entrance hole on top, and they boil out aggressively when the mound is disturbed. The stings burn and often turn into small white pustules within a day. Small reddish-brown ants that swarm up your leg when you step near a mound are the giveaway.

Stings are painful and can cause serious allergic reactions in some people. Get medical help right away for swelling beyond the sting area, trouble breathing, dizziness or many stings on a child or pet. For ordinary stings, wash, apply a cold compress and avoid breaking the pustules.

In Orange County, the Mosquito and Vector Control District surveys and treats red imported fire ants, so suspected sightings there are worth reporting to the district. For persistent problems, commercial properties and areas outside the district's work, a private two-step program is the next step.

Drenching a single mound usually kills the top of the colony while the queen moves and builds a new mound nearby. Fire ant colonies can also have satellite mounds. The two-step approach, broadcast bait followed by mound treatment, reaches queens across the whole area.

Bait works through the colony over one to several weeks; mound treatment knocks down active mounds faster. Expect a clear drop within a few weeks, with follow-up treatment where new mounds appear.