Due to the unseasonably hot winter, ants – fire ants in particular – have migrated, multiplied and spread across Flagler and Volusia counties, say agricultural experts. They're mating and procreating like its spring, instead of harvesting resources and storing energy for a cold winter.
"They think it’s spring when its 85 degrees outside, so they are busy swarming, busy procreating," said Dave’s Pest Control operator Michael Liley to The Daytona Beach News-Journal. "The queen will send out a signal for them go somewhere else and start a colony. It’s pretty unusual, but they are like people; they love tropical weather."
RELATED: There's no end in sight for Florida's ongoing war with giant poisonous toads
Fire ants have pockmarked Volusia and Flagler with sand mounds, structures ants add atop underground colonies "to stay dry and warm," said University of Florida/Volusia County Extension Service director Brad Burbaugh to the News-Journal.
A hallmark of a fire ant mound, as opposed to a non-fire ant mound, is that fire ant mounds have no opening at the top.
Another hallmark of the fire ant is aggression. Do not fuck with fire ant mounds. Once disturbed, the queen fire ant sends an army that will stop at nothing to defend the colony.
A way of distinguishing a fire ant from a chiller ant is its behavior, noted Liley. If a group of fire ants looks hostile, charging at you like looking for all the smoke, they are likely fire ants.
If you see fire ants, don't engage. They will swarm and bite you a bunch. With the extra fire-ant bangin' comes even more fire ants. But the elevated sand mounds do give their home base location away.
All of this is music to exterminators' ears. There are also fire ant baits available in stores, Burbaugh told the News-Journal, adding the advice to always read the instructions carefully and keep from small children.
Follow @cl_tampabay on Twitter to get the most up-to-date news + views. Subscribe to our newsletter, too.
This article appears in Jan 2-8, 2020.