Help! They're on Fire!

Help! They’re on Fire! Among the top ten vicious insects in the U.S. is Solenopsis , also referred to by their common name, “Fire Ant.” Solonopsis is categorized under the order Hymenoptera and under the family Formicidae. Solenopsis invicta (red imported fire ant) can be distinguished from the Solenopsis geminata (tropical fire ant) because S. geminata will have square shaped heads that are of much greater proportion in comparison to the rest of their body whereas S. invicta do not have heads that are characteristically larger than the rest of their bodies. Mounds of fire ants are usually no bigger than 18 inches in diameter and disturbance of the mound leads to an aggressive attack from the fire ants. The queen is capable of laying 1,500 eggs a day and after the eggs hatch, the queen will wait to lay more eggs until the first batch matures. The larval stage of the ant will last 6-12 days followed by the 9 day pupal stage and concluding with the adult worker ant stage. The ...