Examining 11 Common Myths About Fire Ants: #4 Will Startle You!

6. Fire Ant Colonies Have Only One Queen

There is a prevalent belief that single queen rules guide fire ant colonies. Actually, with some colonies holding dozens of queens at once, fire ant colonies can be either monogyne—single queen—or polygyne—many queens. Their existence depends much on this capacity to support several queens, which also makes control activities more difficult. Queens in polygyne colonies help in egg-laying tasks, therefore increasing the size of the colony and covering more area. This social structure makes fast colony expansion possible as well as increases resistance against environmental obstacles. Implementing sensible control strategies depends on an awareness of colony structure since treatments have to consider the possibility of several queens.