Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA)
Red Imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta) are an invasive species that entered the United States in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s.
Not only do Fire ants sting, they have caused major damage in the U.S. alone to the tune of over a half a billion dollars.
Fire ants infiltrate traffic signals, electrical switch and telephone boxes, and air conditioners, creating a need for costly repairs and replacements.

USDA Entomologist Examing a Fire Ant Mound
Red Imported Fire ants have infested an estimated 278 million acres in 11 southern states and Puerto Rico.
Fire ants build their nests in mounds of soil outdoors, or near a building’s foundation.
The sting of a Red Imported Fire ant is very painful and usually will cause a raised welt that becomes a white blister.
There are Native Fire Ants (Solenopsis sp.) in the U.S., however, their numbers have declined because of the fight over food sources with the invasive Red Imported Fire ant.
Call today at 1-800-986-1006 for help with a Fire ant infestation. You’re also welcome to complete the form below and a caring Hearts Pest Management representative will contact you shortly.
Red Imported Fire Ant Prevention
The best way to keep red imported fire ants under control is to keep a clean and well kept house. Pay attention to cracks and crevices on the exterior of your home that could potentially allow entry to these biting ants. While sealing cracks and crevices will help, it is not a guarantee against entry.
USDA Entomologist Examing a Fire Ant Mound
Dangers of the Red Imported Fire Ant
Fire ants can release attack pheromones in response to unusual vibrations and electronics. RIFA can do massive damage not only to food, but to other aspects critical in our daily life. Their habit of attacking electrical components can cause damage to refrigerators, computers, lights, A/C, and other electrical devices. This includes traffic lights and power substations. It is estimated that more than $ 5 billion is spent on RIFA in per year. With their aggressive tendencies, RIFA also negatively impact local animals and ecosystem. The following video addresses insect attraction to electronics. The first segment is about fire ants. You may want to skip the second section about bees. Sudden RIFA attacks can happen from the simple vibrations of normal human activities, such as walking near a nest. Fire ants attack by swarming over the threat, latching on with their jaws and then stinging multiple times. The sting is especially painful. Detoxification and desensitization from the RIFA sting can be very expensive.
Red Fire ant bites. This gentleman had 250 bites in 10 seconds after kneeling on a collapsed mound!
Biology of the Red Imported Fire Ant
Fire ants range in size from an 1/8th to a ¼ of an inch. They are usually red brown in color. At first glance the ant mound may look like a gopher mound except the outside of the mound is covered in many holes, giving it a Swiss cheese like appearance. The mound usually has foraging tunnels with small groupings of holes every several feet. Click here for a Picture of a Fire Ant moundRed Imported Fire Ant Food Sources
RIFA favor meat in their diet. They can receive this from many sources, especially young birds and other small mammals. Fire ants are more than capable of going after human food and are especially fond of Spam and potato chips.Origin and Migration of Red Imported Fire Ants

Controlling RIFA with Professional Pest Control
RIFA are amazingly tough. Many standard pest control practices will not work on this species. Special techniques and products have been developed to control fire ants. This specialized fire ant treatment was developed by universities such as Texas A&M in conjunction with the federal government. It is a two stage treatment involving a nest kill and baiting, with maintenance baiting several months after first treatment. Utilizing an insect growth regulator with the bait provides a double pronged approach to eliminating the ant colony by direct kills and reduced reproduction. Unfortunately regular ant baits and sprays will not kill the colony. Only bait made specifically for specifically for fire ants will effectively kill a nest. Biological Controls: There are two “beneficial insect” species that can help control fire ants, the parasitic phorid fly and a microsporidium pathogenic spore.How Can Customers Assist with Red Imported Fire Ant Control
The best way for you to help contain first ants is with keen observation. Identifying the problem before the colony grows too large is your best defense against this insect. This especially will help to limit human exposure to the ants, and the stinging that could potentially occur. Keeping irrigation well controlled will benefit you in limiting the spread of a fire ant colony. Excessive watering can lead to a longer mating flight and so spread the ants further away from the initial nest. There is no doubt that red imported fire ants are hard to get rid of. Spraying the mound with a common insecticide will not work and neither will flooding them out. For more information on ants and ant species, visit our page on Ant Control Call us at Hearts Pest Management: 1-800-986-1006. We are licensed and trained to handle pesticides and handle the red imported fire ant.RIFA References
extension – An Interactive Cooperative Extension System County of Los Angeles Agricultural Commissioners office – RIFA Purdue University Pest Tracker National Agricultural Information Service – Red Imported Fire Ants Tulane University – Red Imported Fire Ants Alien Species in Hawaii – Solenopsis Invicta Orange County Vector Control Red Imported Fire Ant Program Status United States Department of Agriculture – Red Imported Fire Ant Global MapAgoura Hills | Northridge | |
Alhambra | Pacific Palisades | |
Arcadia | Palos Verdes Estates | |
Beverly Hills | Pasadena | |
Burbank | Pomona | |
Calabasas | Rancho Palos Verdes | |
Cerritos | Redondo Beach | |
City of Industry | Reseda | |
City of Los Angeles | Rolling Hills Estates | |
Claremont | San Marino | |
Culver City | Santa Fe Springs | |
Cypress | Santa Monica | |
Diamond Bar | Sherman Oaks | |
El Monte | Sylmar | |
El Segundo | Tarzana | |
Encino | Temple City | |
Glendale | Toluca Lake | |
Granada Hills | Torrance | |
Hacienda Heights | Venice | |
Hidden Hills | Walnut | |
Hollywood | West Covina | |
La Verne | West Hollywood | |
Long Beach | West Los Angeles | |
Malibu | Westlake Village | |
Manhattan Beach | Whittier | |
Marina Del Rey | Woodland Hills | |
North Hollywood | ||
Aliso Viejo | Laguna Hills | |
Anaheim | Laguna Niguel | |
Brea | Lake Forest | |
Buena Park | Los Alamitos | |
Capistrano Beach | Mission Viejo | |
City of Orange | Newport Beach | |
Corona Del Mar | Orange | |
Costa Mesa | Rancho Santa Margarita | |
Dana Point | Rossmoor | |
Fountain Valley | San Clemente | |
Fullerton | San Juan Capistrano | |
Garden Grove | Santa Ana | |
Huntington Beach | Tustin | |
Irvine | Villa Park | |
La Habra | Westminster | |
Laguna Beach | Yorba Linda | |
4S Ranch | Rancho Penasquitos | |
Poway | Scripps Ranch | |
Rancho Bernardo | ||
Descanso | Ramona | |
Julian | Santa Ysabel | |
Pine Valley | ||
Bonsall | Hidden Meadows | |
Escondido | Pauma Valley | |
Fallbrook | Valley Center | |
Carlsbad | Pacific Beach | |
Coronado | Point Loma | |
La Costa | San Ysidro | |
Mira Mesa | The City of San Diego | |
Otay Mesa | ||
Cardiff by the Sea | Oceanside | |
Carmel Valley | Rancho Santa Fe | |
Del Mar | San Marcos | |
Encinitas | Solana Beach | |
La Jolla | Vista | |
Alpine | Imperial Beach | |
Bonita | Jamul | |
Chula Vista | La Mesa | |
East Lake Chula Vista | Lakeside | |
El Cajon | Santee | |