When the summers and spring arrives, people think of stinging insects such as wasps and hornets. Many of you do not realize that fire ants are most active during the hurricane seasons.

Fire ants are aggressive ant species. They can survive in extreme weather conditions such as floods and hurricanes.

Fire ants are impossible to eliminate and kill off native ant species as they spread more.

Have you ever imagined fire ants floating on water? How do these ant species do it? Let’s look at the complete procedure of how fire ants survive in the floodwater and why?

The fascinating biology of aggressive fire ants:

One of the fascinating abilities of fire ants is taking on liquid and solid forms of groups. Fire ants protect their colonies and queen ants from extreme weather conditions by instinctively linking legs to form large structures, often referred to as rafts. Fire ants have a mighty grip even though they are small creatures.

You may find these pesky insects in yards, playgrounds, and infrastructure of the building. During hurricanes and flash floods, these ant species come out from their underground tunnels. These ant species form floating clusters and colonize as drifters for miles until they reach the land surface. By doing so, they can survive for weeks or months.

What’s more?

It is nearly impossible for these ant species to drown because of their tiny hairs that collect bubbles and waxy exoskeletons. The mechanical properties make floating ants practically waterproof. The air bubbles can’t escape when submerged in water because these creatures have close bonding. The air bubbles serve as an oxygen supply until the ants reemerge. If a single ant falls off the raft, the air bubbles help them to reconnect.

Fire ants are strong and move as a single unit. They build bridges as they need for their survival. These ant species are known to build towers and push any material.

Fire ants possess elastic properties, keeping them together and bounce back after an impact or pressure, preventing injury and separation.

Dangers of floating fire ants:

While the science behind these floating creatures is fascinating, floating fire ants threaten humans and pets. If you get stung by these ant species, you may have the dangers of getting an anaphylactic shock.

At first instance, floating fire ants resemble nothing less than floating debris in the floodwater. The natural ability to blend makes them experts at deception. Ironically, fire ants are blind. They depend on other sensory organs to latch safely.

Fire ants in flood water:

Floating fire ants often find their way into the pile of debris. After a hurricane, people need to take out the boats to navigate floodwaters. Beware as fire ants will find their way to climb the boats and sting you.

Spotting floating fire ants:

You can avoid contacting the fire ants once you encounter them. Do not separate the colony or drown them, as they will do anything to get the shelter. Call the pest control professionals once things get normal to safely remove floating fire ants or prevent them from infesting near your house.

Tags: Ant Control, Pest Control Ants