The invasive fire ants first hitched a boat ride to Alabama in 1918. Since then, they've marched into over a dozen states, ...

In Brazil, the fire ant population is kept under control by natural predators, such as other insects or pathogens. Their numbers grow more rapidly in the U.S. because there are no natural predators.

Stepping on a fire ant hill, sometimes referred to as a mound, can mean almost immediate pain as the fire ants bite you in an attempt to protect their. ... The hill protects the nest from predators.