Windermere, FL and nearby
Dirt mounds in the lawn, and the ants sting
Mounds of loose soil in the lawn, along the drive or in flower beds, with reddish ants that pour out and sting when disturbed, are red imported fire ants. UF/IFAS notes a white pustule usually forms at the sting by the next day.
Independent Florida-licensed providers. No obligation for the call.
Why it will not stop on its own
New queens keep arriving. Fire ant mating flights happen around midday on warm, sunny days following rain, according to UF/IFAS. A lawn cleared of mounds can be recolonized from the neighbors.
One mound is one colony of many. Treating the mound you can see does nothing for the others across the lawn, which is why the standard approach UF/IFAS describes starts with a bait spread over the whole yard, then treats individual mounds.
What the visit involves
A walk around the whole property — lawn, beds, the curb strip, around pavers and utility boxes. Then a broadcast bait across the lawn, mound treatments where needed, and a timeline for results.
What to say when you call
- About how many mounds, and where
- Whether children or pets use that area
- Whether anyone has been stung, and how badly
- Whether the lawn was recently sodded or regraded
Common questions
Is a sting dangerous? For most people it is painful and itchy. Anyone with a severe reaction, or many stings at once, should get medical advice.
Can I flood or rake the mound? The colony often just moves a few feet. Stirring it up also invites stings.
How quickly will it work? Baits take days to weeks. Ask the provider what to expect.
Seeing it right now? Call and describe it — the line can tell you whether a visit is available near your ZIP code today.
(866) 204-1244Check the license before work starts
Florida pest control businesses are licensed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and each business location must have a certified operator in charge. Any company or individual can be looked up in the department’s public database before a visit is booked.
Other things people find
- Winged insects swarming the porch light after sunsettermite treatment
- Thin mud tubes running up the slab or the garage walltermite treatment
- Little piles of pellets keep appearing below the trimdrywood termites
- There is an old termite treatment notice by the attic hatchtermite inspection
- Tiny, almost see-through ants at the sinkant control
- The same ant trail comes back after every sprayant control
- A big roach on the floor at nightroach control
- Small roaches in the kitchen cabinetsroach control
- Scratching and scurrying in the attic after darkrodent control
- Mosquitoes biting on the lanai in the afternoonmosquito control
- Waking up with new bitesbed bug treatment