The fire ant is aptly named, both for its reddish coloring and its painful, stinging bite. Though the species is not indigenous to North America, it has spread throughout the Southeastern and Southwestern (especially California) United States. Fire ants live in wide-ranging, underground burrows capped by large, cement-like domed mounds. They reproduce rapidly. Large mounds, if left untreated, may eventually house as many as 200,000 fire ants, with tunnels reaching five to six feet below the surface of the soil.

When hungry or irritated, these aggressive, predatory insects bite relentlessly. In human beings, the bite immediately produces a hot, burning sensation and prompts noticeable swelling and redness at the site of the puncture. Bitten areas nearly always blister and fill with pus, and often leave scars after healing. Worse yet, people sensitive to the venom may suffer very adverse reactions, including nausea, vomiting, dizziness and -- in rare cases -- even death.

In addition to human beings who unwittingly cross their path, fire ants pose a real threat to any nesting birds, poultry and livestock that live near a mound. Smaller fowl are particularly vulnerable as fire ants are well equipped to kill and eat them.