Fire ant swarm season is underway across Central Florida, and pest control specialists at Orlando pest control company ABC Home & Commercial Services are alerting homeowners to a warning sign many overlook: fire ants with wings.
Winged fire ants — known as reproductives — emerge from mature colonies once a year to mate and establish new nests. Spotting a swarm isn’t a random occurrence. It means a fire ant colony is already living on or near the property. The swarming event, called a nuptial flight, typically happens the morning after rainfall or on a warm, sunny day. In Orlando’s climate, peak activity runs from spring through early fall.
According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, imported red fire ants are one of the most economically damaging invasive species in the state. Unlike other ant species, fire ants swarm in large numbers and attack aggressively when disturbed. A single mature colony can contain hundreds of thousands of workers, and swarming reproductives are the first visible sign that a colony has reached full strength. Homeowners who spot winged fire ants should consult Orlando pest exterminators before the new queen establishes a secondary nest nearby.
Male and female reproductives look different from typical worker ants. They carry two pairs of translucent wings roughly equal in length to their bodies. Males are slightly smaller with glossier abdomens. After mating in the air, the males die. The fertilized female sheds her wings, burrows into soil, and begins laying eggs for an entirely new colony. Left unchecked, that new colony can house thousands of ants within months.
ABC Home & Commercial Services has published a detailed fire ants with wings identification guide covering how to distinguish winged reproductives from other ant species, what the caste system means for colony size, how to identify and treat bites, and how fire ants differ from the red ants often mistaken for them. The guide is designed to help Orlando homeowners assess the severity of an infestation before it spreads.
ABC Home & Commercial Services has served the Greater Orlando area since 2006. The company’s pest control teams are QualityPro-certified and background-checked, and specialize in identifying and eliminating fire ant colonies at the source rather than treating only surface symptoms.
Content developed in partnership with national digital marketing agency ASTOUNDZ.
ABC Home & Commercial Services Orlando
+1 407 265 0665
823 East Colonial Drive
Orlando
Florida
32803
United States
