What Do Fire Ants Eat?

If you live in the southeastern part of the United States, you probably have wondered, “What do fire ants eat?” Here at Fire Ant Specialists, we are prepared to provide you with all the information you need!

Our main headquarters is located in Ocala, Florida. Since 1993, we have specialized in controlling red imported fire ants on residential and commercial properties. Our guarantee is that if our service does not work within the timeframe specified at the time of application, we will spot-treat the area of infestation at no charge.

What Do Red Imported Fire Ants Eat?

Fire ants are exceptionally resourceful because they are omnivorous. This means that they eat plants, other insects, and small animals. They will even scavenge dead animals’ bodies while out foraging for their colony.

Like many other creatures, worker ants’ diets consist of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids—sugar, protein, and fat. Since worker ants cannot ingest solid particles, their food base is liquid. Only during the last phase of their larval stage can they ingest solids, which are then transformed into liquids to feed the rest.

How Do They Find Food?

Ants leave the colony and wander around until they find a food source. To bring other workers to the source, they use their stingers to leave a pheromone trail on their way back to the colony.

When the worker arrives at one of their tunnels, other workers follow the pheromone trail back to the source. They bring it back to the colony and use their stingers to leave the trail. This enables every worker to find food.

Ants are fierce predators. They have strong jaws (mandibles) that bite and secure the source, alive or dead, enabling them to carry it back to the colony. 

Which Foods Do They Prefer?

Fire ants aren’t picky. They enjoy a wide array of plant materials and vertebrate and invertebrate animals. They have even wandered into dirty laundry due to the oils and sugars we leave on our clothing. 

In some instances, their predatory nature is a blessing to the places they reside. This is because they will attack and eat ticks and boll weevils. But in many others, their presence is a threat because they go after threatened or endangered species and even songbirds.

How Do We Get Rid Of Them?

Since the fire ant is an invasive species in Florida and the southeastern United States, it is an unwelcome resident. That means necessary measures must be taken to rid ourselves of these dangerous and painful pests.

At Fire Ant Specialists, we make it our job to ensure that our customers enjoy 95%+ control of these unwelcome residents with two or three treatments per year.

We use a high-quality granular bait that sterilizes the queen. No queen means no more ants. And it’s safe for both people and their animals right after we’ve applied it. There’s no “re-entry interval.”

Now that you know what fire ants eat, if you have a fire ant problem and want it handled effectively, call Fire Ant Specialists at 352-291-2687 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). You can also fill out the form on our site or click here.