Mound treatment for a lawn
The mounds in turf are treated directly, and the surrounding grass is checked for new mounds. This is the usual job for a yard with a few visible colonies and no sign of spread into beds.
Serving Orange County
Fire Ant Control in Orlando, FL
Mound treatment and yard checks for red imported fire ants across Orlando and Orange County.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Termites, roof rats, ants and mosquitoes
- Price confirmed before any treatment
- WDO reports on FDACS Form 13645
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (855) 974-4733. Or send this and we call you back.
Fire Ants
Fire Ant Control: what it covers
Quick answer
Fire ant control targets the red imported fire ant, which UF/IFAS reports is established in Florida. Mounds are treated in lawns, beds and along foundations, where the colony spreads by mating flights. Orlando Pest Control sends a local technician to map the mounds and recommend a plan for Orange County.
A fire ant mound is easy to miss until it is too late to avoid. In a lawn it looks like a loose heap of soil, usually rounded and sometimes pushed up through turf. Along a foundation or in a bed it can sit under mulch, against a sidewalk edge or beside a utility box, where the ants can reach people and pets quickly.
The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is established in Florida according to UF/IFAS. Of the two fire ant species in the state it is the most notorious, while the native tropical fire ant, S. geminata, is much less common. The distinction matters because a plan written for one species may not be the right plan for the other.
The colony spreads mainly by mating flights rather than by walking, which is why a mound can appear in a yard that had none the season before. A technician maps the mounds where they are, the spacing between them and the surfaces they sit on, so the treatment is set around people and pets as well as the ants.
- Service area
- Orlando & Orange County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7
- Phone
- (855) 974-4733
Is the red imported fire ant established in Florida?
Yes. UF/IFAS states that the red imported fire ant is established in Florida and is the most notorious of the state's two fire ant species. The native tropical fire ant is much less common, so a mound in Florida is most often the imported species.
The imported species is a large and widespread problem across the state, and the ant control page covers the other ants that enter homes. Fire ants stand apart because they build visible mounds in open ground and can sting when the mound is disturbed.
This page does not claim a specific county record for Orange County. The statewide status is the sourced statement, and the technician confirms each mound on site rather than assuming it.
How big do fire ant mounds get?
Mounds are usually rounded soil heaps, and according to UF/IFAS the red imported fire ant builds mounds rarely over about 46 centimeters, or 18 inches, across. Mound size tells the technician how long a colony has been there and helps place the treatment.
Size is only one clue. A mound in a lawn that has been mowed flat may be a recent start, while a larger heap in a bed suggests a colony that has been present for some time. The technician looks at the surface, the spacing between mounds and the traffic across the area.
Mounds can be knocked down by raking or mowing and return within days, so a flattened mound is not a treated one. The record tracks where each mound was seen and whether it came back.
How do fire ant colonies spread?
Mainly through mating flights, according to UF/IFAS, when reproductive ants leave a colony and start new ones elsewhere. That is why a new mound can appear in a yard with no nearby colony in view, and why a clean lawn can still get one.
A mating flight can carry the colony's next generation a considerable distance from the parent nest. The technician treats the mounds that are present and recommends checks through the warm months, because a new colony may start in a spot that looked clear the previous season.
Spread by walking is possible in a crowded yard, but it is the less common route the record should reflect. The map of mounds helps separate new arrivals from ones that have simply been missed.
Why is a fire ant sting different from other ant bites?
Fire ants sting and can sting repeatedly when the mound is disturbed, and the stings can cause a burning sensation and a raised bump. People and pets who step on a mound are the most likely to be stung, which is why mounds near play areas and pool decks are treated first.
Because the ants swarm out of a mound quickly, a family walking across a lawn can be stung before anyone sees the mound. The warning sign is a rapid rush of ants from a disturbed heap and stings on the feet or ankles.
A person who has a strong reaction to stings should seek medical care and should tell the technician before any treatment is applied near the area they use. The yard plan can then be arranged around that need.
Can I treat fire ant mounds myself?
Some homeowners try a store product on a few mounds. A technician can map the whole yard, choose a method for each surface, and avoid placing product where children, pets or water features are. Call for the mapping first, and then decide what is worth doing at home.
Pouring liquid or hot water into a mound can disturb the colony and send workers out into the yard, which is a hazard to anyone close by. Disturbing a mound also tends to spread the colony's workers to nearby soil, so the result is not always the one intended.
If you do use a product yourself, follow the label exactly and keep it away from water and from pets. Tell the technician what you used, so the next visit does not repeat it on the same spot.
Warning signs
Signs you need fire ant control
Do not pour boiling water, gasoline or unknown chemicals into a mound, and do not stand over a disturbed mound to watch the ants. Keep children and pets away from treated mounds until the product has been applied and the technician has said the area is clear. If you or someone else is stung and has trouble breathing, seek emergency care at once.
- Loose soil mounds in the lawn, usually rounded and easy to kick apart
- Mounds beside a foundation, a sidewalk edge or a utility box
- Ants that swarm out of the ground fast when a mound is disturbed
- Stings on feet, ankles or legs after walking across a lawn or bed
- Mounds that reappear in the same spot after the surface was raked or mowed
- A pet or child stung while playing on the lawn
- Mounds in the mulch of a bed near a patio, a play area or a pool deck
Our process
How our fire ant control visit works
Walk the yard and count the mounds
The technician walks the lawn, beds and edges to find each mound, its size and its spacing. Mounds near play areas, pool decks and entries are marked first because they carry the most risk for people.
Confirm the species
A worker sample confirms that the mound is a red imported fire ant nest. Workers measure about 2.4 to 6 millimeters, and the sample separates it from the native tropical fire ant.
Choose the method for the surface
Lawns, beds and hardscape edges call for different products and placements. The method is chosen for the surface and the people who use it, and the proposal says which product goes where.
Apply the treatment on site
The technician applies the product to the mounds or to the surrounding area as the label directs, and notes each mound treated. Application stays away from water features and the spots the homeowner has marked.
Check the mounds again
A follow-up walk checks whether the mounds are gone or have moved. New mounds are added to the map, since a colony can take time to respond and new colonies can arrive from nearby yards.
Options
Types and options for fire ant control
Bed and perimeter treatment
Mounds under mulch, along a fence line or against a foundation are treated with an approach suited to planting and building edges. The plan avoids unnecessary product in the beds where it does not help.
Yard-wide program
A repeating plan for a large property with many mounds or a history of return. It includes scheduled checks through the warm months, when mating flights and new mounds are most likely to show up.
One call and it gets handled.
Most fire ant control calls are scheduled the same day when a technician is free, and you approve the price before any work starts.
Orange County
Why fire ant control is different in Central Florida
Fire ant mounds in Orlando often appear in the open turf of older subdivisions and in the beds around newer homes that have been landscaped with fresh mulch. The mounds are most visible in the warm months, when the lawn is growing and the soil is being worked.
Yards in the lakefront and tree-canopied neighborhoods, such as Conway and Windermere, often have mixed surfaces: lawn, shaded beds, dock edges and gravel. The plan covers each surface separately rather than applying one method across the whole lot.
The wet season in Orange County means that heavy rain can flood low lawn areas and move mounds. After a storm, a mound may be lower or in a new spot, and the technician checks the lawn for those shifts at the next visit.
Related
Related services
Ant Control
Trail tracing and treatment for household ants moving indoors during the wet season in Orlando and Orange County.
Tawny Crazy Ant Control
Identification and control of tawny crazy ants in homes, yards and around electrical boxes in Orlando and Orange County.
Lawn Pest Control
Inspection and treatment for southern chinch bug damage on St. Augustinegrass lawns across Orlando and Orange County.
General Pest Control
Recurring treatment for ants, roaches, rodents and spiders across Orlando and Orange County, planned around the wet season.
Where we work
Fire Ant Control across Orange County
- Fire Ants in Downtown Orlando
- Fire Ants in College Park
- Fire Ants in Baldwin Park
- Fire Ants in Conway
- Fire Ants in Azalea Park
- Fire Ants in Winter Park
- Fire Ants in Belle Isle
- Fire Ants in Pine Hills
- Fire Ants in Maitland
- Fire Ants in Lake Nona
- Fire Ants in Altamonte Springs
- Fire Ants in Casselberry
- Fire Ants in Goldenrod
- Fire Ants in Ocoee
- Fire Ants in Windermere
- Fire Ants in Meadow Woods
- Fire Ants in Hunters Creek
- Fire Ants in Dr. Phillips
- Fire Ants in Winter Springs
- Fire Ants in Alafaya
- Fire Ants in Apopka
- Fire Ants in Longwood
- Fire Ants in Avalon Park
- Fire Ants in Oviedo
- Fire Ants in Winter Garden
- Fire Ants in Kissimmee
- Fire Ants in Lake Mary
- Fire Ants in Oakland
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Guides
Read before you book
What Moves a Pest Control Quote in Orlando
No price for pest control in Orlando is printed here, because no figure has been checked against a public body.
FAQ
Fire Ant Control FAQs
How do I know a mound is a fire ant nest?
A fire ant mound is a loose heap of soil, usually rounded, and the workers rush out fast when it is disturbed. The technician confirms the species with a worker sample, because the native tropical fire ant is much less common and needs a different plan.
Why do mounds keep coming back in the same spot?
A mound that is raked, mowed or flattened can rebuild within days, and a colony that was not reached can keep building. A new colony can also arrive through a mating flight. The map shows which mounds returned, so the next visit targets them directly.
Is fire ant treatment safe around pets and children?
The product is chosen for the surface and placed as the label directs. Tell the technician about pets, children and any play area before the visit. Keep them off treated areas until the technician says they can go back.
How long does a fire ant plan take to work?
A colony can take time to respond to a treatment, so the plan includes a follow-up walk rather than a single expectation of results on the day. Mounds are counted again to show whether they have stopped appearing.
Do fire ants only live in lawns?
No. They also build mounds in beds, along foundations and beside utility boxes. The technician checks each surface, because a mound near a patio or a play area needs more attention than one in the back corner of the lot.
Should I be stung on purpose to test a reaction?
No. A sting can cause a strong reaction in some people. Anyone with a history of severe reactions should seek medical advice and tell the technician before any work begins near the area they use.