Red Imported Fire Ants RIFA

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Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA)

• By Keri Lum, Lamare Haines, Lauren Webb, and
  Lindy cowart

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Q What are Fire Ants?
A They are dark, orange-brown ants that came
from South America.
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Q How did the fire ants enter Mississippi?
A On cargo ships from South America at Mobile
Bay. They were stowaways!
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Q What Do Fire Ants Look Like?
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Q Where do fire ants live?
A They live in open, sunny areas like lawns.
Sometimes around concrete or buildings or
wherever they can find food. The mounds look like
a pile of loose soil.
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Q Why are fire ants a threat?

• A They can be harmful to people, damage crops
  and even kill small animals.

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Q How do fire ants attack?
Fire ants attack when they are disturbed.
A First, they will attach to the skin by their
mandibles (like pinchers on a crab), then it
bends its body and thrusts its stinger into the
intruder repeatedly in a circular pattern.
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Q How Do You Treat A Fire Ant Sting?

• A You need to monitor the person who got stung.
• Take a Benadryl.
• If the person starts wheezing, has low blood
  pressure, looses consciousness, and/or has
  swelling in more areas than the sting site, take
  them to the hospital ASAP.
• Use an EPiPen if available.

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Q How Can You Protect Your Family And Yourself
From Fire Ants?

• A Survey your land regularly, wear protective
  clothing like jeans and closed-toed shoes. If you
  see a mound, treat it with fire ant poison and do
  not disturb it.

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Q What Should You Do If You Are Plagued With
Fire Ants?

• A You should wear protective clothing, keep food
  sealed and locked away, keep a close eye on
  children and elderly members and treat your house
  and yard with pesticides made for fire ants.

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Q How Is A Fire Ant Infestation Treated?

• 1) BAITING should be done when you are in an area
  that is prone to getting Fire Ants. It works best
  as a prevention and when done 3-4 times a year.
• 2) DRENCHING should be done when you currently
  have active nests which need to be eliminated
  immediately. This is what you should do when
  people or pets are either threatened or have
  gotten stung by existing ants.

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Fast Facts on Fire Ants!

• Measure 1/16 to 1/4 of an inch in length.
• Mounds can grow as large as one foot tall, three
  feet wide and be about 5 feet deep.
• About 20 million people a year are stung by fire
  ants.
• They are omnivores and will eat almost any plant
  or animal material.
• Foragers, the oldest of the colony, search for
  food.

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Thanks!

• Mrs. Cindy Cook
• www.fireant.com
• www.google.com

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Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA)

• By Keri Lum, Lamare Haines, Lauren Webb,
• and Lindy Cowart