San Antonio Rains Bring Out Fire Ants

SAN ANTONIO – The recent rains have brought fire ants closer to the surface, both literally and as a matter of concern for area property owners, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert based in San Antonio.

 

“Rain doesn’t necessarily make fire ants more abundant,” said Molly Keck, AgriLife Extension entomologist and integrated pest management program specialist for Bexar County. “They were always there; they just weren’t as noticeable. When it rains, the ground becomes saturated and the fire ants move their colonies higher, giving some people the impression there are more of them than there were during dry months.”

 

Keck said unless homeowners have been treating regularly, it’s a safe assumption they already have or will be getting at least one fire ant mound in their yard.

 

“I have found mounds when weeding my garden, in my vegetable beds, along the sidewalk, next to my newly planted fig tree and in the middle of the yard,” Keck said. “They are huge, ugly, and look fairly ominous.”