Fire Ants Can Be Tricky To Prevent In Richmond
September 22, 2022
Do you have kids that like spending time outdoors? Do you regularly host cookouts with family and friends? Do you enjoy walking through your yard without being bitten by insects? If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you don’t like fire ants. These small insects cause huge problems around (and sometimes inside) Richmond homes. Today we are talking about why fire ants are tricky to prevent in Richmond and what you should be doing to keep these pests out of your yard. For quick services to remove these pests, call the experts at Go-Forth Pest Control. Our team of licensed technicians would be happy to find a quick solution to your yard pest problems.
Identifying Fire Ants
There are many types of ants that live here in Richmond, so many that it is often hard to tell them apart. You can identify a fire ant by its ⅛ to ⅜” long, dark reddish-brown body and its sometimes darker-colored abdomen. Another good way to identify these pests is with their nests. Fire ants build large nests under dirt mounds. These mounds do not have a centralized hole but instead have several small entrances and exit points around the base of the hill. If you suspect that you have fire ants in your yard but you don’t know for certain, let our team perform a detailed inspection. We will pay your property a visit and inform you of what ant species are in your yard.
Help! A Fire Ant Bit Me!
Have you ever been attacked by fire ants in your yard? These pests have the ability to cause people a fair amount of pain and discomfort. The question is, where does this pain come from? Most people don’t know that fire ants sting as well as bite. More specifically, they use their mouth to latch onto the skin so they can jab their stinger into people multiple times. If you have suffered from several fire ant bites and stings, here is what we recommend you do. First, leave the area to avoid more stings. Second, wash the affected area with soap and water. Third, apply hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to soothe the pain, and cover the area with a clean bandage. Finally, apply an ice pack to the area to further reduce swelling and discomfort. If you start to suffer an allergic reaction after an attack, seek medical attention.
Fire Ant-Prevention Tips In Richmond
If you do not like the idea of fire ants invading your home, you need to put in place some prevention tips. What methods work best? Here are some easy prevention methods we recommend for keeping Richmond fire ants away from your home.
- Seal gaps and cracks in your home’s exterior foundation.
- Make sure all of your windows/doors have screens.
- Install door sweeps under exterior doors.
- Repair and replace weather stripping.
Fire ants are among the trickiest pests to prevent and control here in Richmond. Often when DIY ant control is used, they split their colonies, making the problem exponentially worse. To address a fire ant hill in your yard your best option is to get in touch with a professional.
Professional Fire Ant Control Made Simple
There is only one way to effectively control fire ants in Richmond, and that is with professional pest control. For services you can trust at an affordable rate, turn to the experts at Go-Forth Pest Control. Our team is licensed, trained, and highly motivated to help area homeowners with their pest problems. We will inspect your property, identify the severity of your problem, and put in place some long-term treatments to address fire ants.
Call Go-Forth Pest Control today to schedule your home and property for a service visit, and find out why we are your premier option for pest control in Richmond.
Previous Next
