KNOX COUNTY, Tenn — A University of Tennessee professor said that around 75 counties in Tennessee may have fire ants. Many of those counties are in East Tennessee, they said.
"The densities that we see here in Knox County probably aren't as high as we see in other parts of the southeast," said Karen Vail, a UT professor and a specialist with UT extension. "Go a couple of counties south of us, and you might pick up 80 mounds per acre, but I don't think we're seeing those high densities, at least not here in suburbia."
There are two major kinds of fire ants — red imported fire ants and black imported fire ants. There is also a hybrid kind of fire ant between the two species. Their stings can cause medical problems, usually causing a burning sensation and itchy welts where they bite. In rare cases, fire ant venom can cause a life-threatening reaction.
The ants can harm wildlife in the southern U.S., but in some cases, they can be considered beneficial since they may prey on other pests. In urban areas, they may eat flea larvae, chinch bugs, cockroach eggs, ticks and other kinds of bugs. However, they can also eat plants and dead animals.
However, the problems they present usually outweigh the benefits of having them around. Ant mounds can also be unsightly and reduce the value of land in an area. They can also harm wildlife or injure livestock.
People can treat fire ant stings with most over-the-counter products. They should not scratch areas that were stung. If a person starts having severe chest pain, nausea, severe sweating, loss of breath, serious swelling or slurred speech — they should go to an emergency room.
They were brought to Mobile, Alabama around 89 years ago from South America several decades ago and now infest more than 367 million acres across 10 states. There were attempts in the 1960s and 1970s to eradicate red imported fire ants, but they were not successful.
The ants could re-invade treated areas, and the eradication effort ultimately failed for a variety of reasons including economic and pesticide-related difficulties.
There are winged males, and winged females that come in a variety of colors, as well as queen ants and worker ants. The worker ants protect the queen and defend nests from intruders.
Mounds can be built in almost any type of soil but fire ants prefer open, sunny areas like pastures, parks, lawns, meadows and cultivated fields. They can get up to 2 feet high and are usually found around rotting logs, stumps and trees. They can also be built in or under buildings.