Red Imported Fire Ant
Also known as RIFA. Solenopsis invicta
Aggressive stinging ants that build dome mounds and swarm when disturbed.
In Florida, Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta) rates as a dangerous concern. Fire ant control in Florida's Treasure & Space Coast is handled by Rhino Pest Management, a local, licensed (#JB242881) and insured company rated 5.0★ across 16 Google reviews. Ask for a free estimate at (772) 589-6842.
Photo: no rights reserved (CC0) · iNaturalist
Reddish-brown, 2–6 mm, with workers of varying sizes in the same colony. They build dome-shaped dirt mounds with no visible entry hole on top.
Open sunny lawns, along driveways and sidewalks, and around utility boxes. Worse after Florida's summer rains.
- Dome-shaped dirt mounds in the yard, especially after rain
- Painful stings that leave a white pustule a day later
- Ants boiling up aggressively when the mound is disturbed
Stings cause burning welts and pustules; people allergic to the venom can have severe, even life-threatening reactions. They damage electrical equipment and threaten pets and small children.
Should I call today?
Yes — treat this as a priority. Red Imported Fire Ant poses a real risk to people or pets, so don't try to handle it yourself: disturbing it is how most people get hurt. Keep everyone clear of the area and get a professional out to identify and remove it.
Spot-treating a mound just makes it relocate and split. Rhino broadcasts a yard-wide bait the workers carry to every queen, then treats visible mounds directly for a fast, colony-wide kill.
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Scientific source
For the biology behind this page, the University of Florida's IFAS Extension publishes a detailed Featured Creatures profile of this species — free to read, and written by entomologists in this state:
Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren — UF/IFAS Extension