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We have fire ants here in Santa Fe. They look just like the picture a previous poster put up. The ants don't make huge mounds; they live in a hole in the ground, so maybe they're not the true fire ant, but I got bitten by one and oh my gosh it hurt. I had the whole burning sensation and then the white bump that took almost two weeks to go away.
Interesting story...
I talked to my sister in the Dallas area (Lewisville - north of Dallas) and they had a mound of these creatures take up residence in the electric box for the neighborhood. They ate through the cables, etc... and power went off to the entire neighborhood for several hours (IN THE DALLAS HEAT!!! )
I guess electric shock doesn't bother them!! This is bothersome as we are probably going to end up moving to ALB area and nothing scares me worse than stinging insects...of any kind. ugh!!!
It feels like a hot match head burning your skin (hence th name fire-ant) and the resulting small white pustule that forms at the bite site will leave no doubt.
the pustules [and the way they itch like mad for days afterward] are pretty much diagnostic for fire ants.
I have a yard full of the boogers. As my exterminator friend told me, they are a termites worst enemy.
If they get into thee house those liquid ant traps usually drive them out.
I'm thinking of moving to New Mexico, but have two cats plus I board cats for others. Should I be concerned that this Ambro used to kill fire ants would be hazardous to animals like cats that may walk through the grass and then lick their paws?
I'm thinking of moving to New Mexico, but have two cats plus I board cats for others. Should I be concerned that this Ambro used to kill fire ants would be hazardous to animals like cats that may walk through the grass and then lick their paws?
You mean Amdro, which is a series of about 20 products. Their product page: AMDRO® : Home I've seen some of their products in Lowes, Walmart, Home Depot etc but I have never used it. We live in the Albuquerque area, have dogs, do some work in some kennels and have not seen any real Fire Ant issues. Regular ants have been taken care of with bait traps in the yard.
Fire Ants are usually treated by spraying their mounds. I guess if you encounter the mound you could put a box over it. But I have not seen Fire Ant mounds in my area. Have seen them in parts of Texas years ago. So I guess it depends on where you are going.
Having dealt with fire ants for a good portion of my adult life, I have a special kind of hatred for them. We have pets and didn't like the idea of placing poison in our yard so we started using yellow cornmeal. Yes cornmeal. From what I understand they cannot process the meal and it just clogs them up and kills them slowly. As a bonus, its super cheap to use and you're not lining the pockets of the chemical cartels.
It may take a few times, but it does work and you don't have to worry about harming your or your neighbors pets.
Red Imported Fire Ant1 in New Mexico: Potential Medical Problems
Guide G-322
Carol A. Sutherland, Extension Entomologist
L. Michael English, Extension Entomologist
Ron L. Byford, Entomologist and Acting Dept. Head,
Extension Plant Sciences
College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences New Mexico State University. (Print Friendly PDF)
This publication is scheduled to be updated and reissued 3/04.
Sooner or later, people living in areas infested with red imported fire ants will encounter these pests. In New Mexico, these aggressive ants have been found on home lawns, along sidewalks and parking areas, on recreational turf, in landscaped planting areas, on rights-of-way along roads and ditch banks, around commercial shipping docks, and near water recycling ponds. New Mexico has many species of native and long-established ants, including the common southern fire ant, but none can cause the potential medical problems presented by red imported fire ants.
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