Every spring and fall we talk about fire ants because every year we confront this problem.
These pests are not native to the United States but were accidentally imported from South America in 1918 and introduced first in Mobile, Alabama. Since then they have spread to all the southeastern states and continue to trek west.
They are ruthless critters, invasive and destructive. If you have never encountered these tiny beasts, one of the most important things you should know is that a fire ant bite HURTS! If you’ve ever stepped in a fire ant mound you know first-hand that they got their name from the burning, stinging pain inflicted by the bite, and the blister that forms afterwards. If you’ve ever had a child fall into a fire ant mound, you’ve felt their pain. Also keep an eye on your pets; these fire ants can really do a number on them and will be hard to detect beneath the animal’s fur.
Fire ants mound up over light fixtures or get inside causing tremendous damage; they also invade transformers and destroy them.
Outdoor light fixtures, no matter how good they are, are no match for these creatures, and a manufacturer warranty does not cover damage by fire ants. This is why it is so important to treat your southern property for these pests. Although we used to recommend a product called OVER-N-OUT for the treating of your lawn, since they have changed the formula we can no longer recommend that product. It used to be that you could treat your lawn once a year with that product and it was good-to-go, but not anymore. Now the instructions say twice a year (but the price is still the same) and even that doesn’t work. Believe me, I tried it at my house. If you have a lawn maintenance company, ask them to treat your property for fire ants. Preventative treatment against fire ant damage will certainly save you the expense and inconvenience of replacing part of your landscape lighting system and a costly transformer.
Knowing your lawn is safe from the pain and destruction of fire ants will help you enjoy your outdoor spaces and landscape lighting even more in the months to come!
If you notice issues with your lighting system and you also notice that you have fire ants, you may need to call in a professional. If you’re in our service area, drop us a note and we’ll get you taken care of.
