Fire ants? (Virginia Beach, Richmond: homes, living in, military)

[cruisekat]

Can anyone please tell me if there are fire ants in VA? If so, are they in all parts and is it a year round problem? It certainly is here in FL and we are looking for a better place to raise our little ones where they can play in the yard without worries. Any insight is much appreciated! Also, how are the 4 seasons? Thank you so very much!

[htlong]

i havent read or heard of any cases of fire ants as of yet, but i am sure they are coming, along with the killer bee's!!!
the four seasons in va are different in all parts of va. in richmond we average i think 6 in. a year, it seems like less it usually melts by 1100 am, about every 5 years we get a nor'easter which will dump 10 to 15 in.
in richmond snow is a 4 letter word, if the weatherman whispers it ,there is a mad dash for th grocery stores and fights breakout over bread and milk. lol
in western and northern va winter is real but not quite like it is up north, the summers all over va are hot and humid,with many days in the high 90's,spring comes early and fall just suddenly appears in oct. i like va because you get all 4 seasons to a mild degree not the frozen 3 months up north gets.

[cruisekat]

Thank you so much! I have been trying so hard to find some info about the fire ants and the only true way to find out os to talk to someone who actually lives there. Do you live inthe Richmond area? The seasons sound great! I have read articles that there have been isolated fire ant findings, but was wondering if they really are an issue...in our yard they are a BIG issue, big enough to make us want to move. So if there are none in VA....that sounds like a great choice for us!! Thanks again!

[dmmjsm]

I have lived here for many years, and have never heard of fire ants here. I have lived in Texas and Oklahoma, so I am familiar with them, and know they are a heck of a problem to have. You could always do some google searches on extension offices here in Va, that could tell you more about local insect/wildlife populations, and how to deal with any problems you could encounter here.

There are definately four distinct seasons here in Va, and its wonderful to expereince them all. best of luck to you.

[LauraerieL]

Hi,
I've lived in too many places on the east coast - Grew up in South Florida, lived in Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Virginia and Now North Carolina. I have lived in many cities in each state, and most places for just a year or two.

Fire Ants kinda stop around Georgia...they don't like cold and winter. I did not see any in South or North Carolina...but they do have tons of spiders here in Northern North Carolina. But, they don't have as many cockroaches in NC...so I'm thinking that they have less in Virginia.

Basically...Fire Ants are more of an issue in Florida and other warmer states. When I lived in South Florida, everyone tried to get rid of them, but few did. I remember my Dad puring gas on them and lighting them on fire, but they were back within a few days...

I'm moving back to Florida (Orlando) area and those Fire Ants and Cockroaches are the only things I can't stand, but everything else is worth it... Wish I could live in the Va. Beach area...but that got too expensive, just like South Florida.

But as for you ~ No Fire Ants in VA...
Hope this helps! WOW, living in so many places has given me insight to things that I never would have thought of before now...although I'm ready to settle down because, overall, moving around is tough, unless your military and things are in place for you.
Best of Luck,
Laura

[maizenbluedoc]

Obviously you never lived in coastal South Carolina. There are a plethora of fire ants here. In fact, after a heavy rain, it is hard to go 20 feet without encountering a mound. I'm originally from SW Virginia and miss the four seasons, but probably would change my mind once winter arrived. Good luck.

[VA_RED]

But as for you ~ No Fire Ants in VA...
Hope this helps! WOW, living in so many places has given me insight to things that I never would have thought of before now...although I'm ready to settle down because, overall, moving around is tough, unless your military and things are in place for you.
Best of Luck,

Hello all! Actually, there are fire ants in VA...especially in the coastal Tidewater area. They're nothing like they are in SC, don't build mounds nearly as large..but they are here, thriving and growing!

[PaperTrail]

Originally Posted by VA_RED

Hello all! Actually, there are fire ants in VA...especially in the coastal Tidewater area.

Need further evidence of fire ants in the Tidewater area? A guy who was allergic to the critters died from their bites last week in Virginia Beach.

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=110789&ran=93540 (broken link)

[Lookingforasafehome]

If you are allergic to them, you can most certainly die as many people have and some people are prisoners in their own homes, esp down in Fla. When we lived in ga and got them once in our kitchen, my hubby just pressed down and killed them, not knowing what they were and his whole entire hand swelled up so bad, that we were very very scared. I took him to the ER and they said oh no, you found out we have fire ants down here! Thanks to GOD he was ok and not allergic but how true papertrail, how true!

P.S. I like your screename.

[dullnboring]

This is fascinating to me. I had never even heard of fire ants period until a few years ago when a friend of mine who had lived in Houston for a short time was teling me about them. They sounded like such awful creatures and I was thankful that we didn't have such things in Virginia. Although apparently as this map on Wikipedia demonstrates, I was wrong to think that: (if the map doesn't show up, the url is at http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/FireantmapUSA.jpg (broken link))



Technically, it looks like the DC area is on the very edge of fire ant territory, but I've never heard or seen them around here. Now I'm reading up on them. There is a slightly nasty picture of a bite-ridden leg on the Wikipedia page.