Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Believe it or not, in some situations fire ants are considered beneficial insects. They voraciously devour other insects and invertebrates -- sometimes in field crops they eat so many harmful insects that growers can reduce the number of insecticidal sprays applied. Researchers report that ticks populations are lower due to fire ant predation resulting in healthier livestock. But fire ants also protect some insects. Aphids which are particularly troublesome in hot dry weather, suck plant juices and excrete a sugary substance, called honeydew, from their abdomens. Ants actually drink this liquid and protect aphids, nicknamed “ant cows,” from ladybug beetles and other insects which want to feed on them. The tradeoff isn’t worth it to me, however, so I keep manage these pests using the directions at Clemson Fire Ant Management in the Home Lawn.
Fire Ants...Beneficial?
