"Unveiling the Dynamic Life Cycle of Fire Ants: Flight, Buoyancy, and Burrowing"
Fire ants, known for their painful stings and invasive nature, lead complex lives that include aerial mating rituals between queens and males at heights of 300-500 feet. After mating, the queens start new colonies, laying up to 800 eggs a day and potentially living for over seven years. Their colonies are extensive, with the ability to create floating rafts during floods and tunnel systems that can reach 10 feet deep. Attempts to eradicate them often fail and can harm the environment. Originating from South America, fire ants were likely introduced to the U.S. through Mobile, Alabama, in the 1930s or 40s, and have recently been found in Europe. Their success is partly due to the absence of their natural predators in new environments.