Fire ants can present a real problem for home owners. Almost
every yard in our area has fire ants. Although they do not cause
damage to the turf or other plant material, they can inflict
painful stings. When their mounds are disturbed, the ants become
aggressive and will attack anything that disturbs their mounds.
An unsuspecting victim can be quickly covered with ants. The
stings are usually just irritating and painful. However, some
people are highly allergic and can become very ill with just one
sting. Fire ants were accidentally introduced into the United
States from South America through the port of Mobile, Ala., in
the 1930s and they arrived into Georgia in the 1950s. At
present, the ants are present in all counties except for some in
the mountains. Human activity has helped spread the ants through
shipments of ant infested nursery stock, soil, sod or other such
material. They do not do as well in colder climates, which have
slowed their spread northward. States in the western part of the
country are tr