Are There Fire Ants in Michigan? Do They Live That Far North?

Fire ants live in hot environments, and sting their prey and often cause dangerous allergic reactions in people they sting. Those living in Michigan may ask: are there fire ants in Michigan?

  • Fire ants are not typically found in Michigan because they prefer sandy soil.
  • The most common ant in Michigan is the carpenter ant.
  • There are ants that bite in Michigan, though – the acrobat ant.

There are many different types of ants, so we wanted to take a look and dive deep into this question.

This way, you can ensure that your home is safe from these not-so-harmless insects.


What Do Fire Ants Look Like? Are There Fire Ants in Michigan?

fire ants

Fire ants are very noticeable due to their bright red color. Of course, the coloring of it varies from ant to ant. So you can have ones that start with a reddish-brown all the way to a reddish black. Each of these ants has a stinger. They both bite and sting their prey.

Fire ants are very noticeable due to their bright red color. Of course, the coloring of it varies from ant to ant. 

While it is possible that fire ants have been imported into Michigan, they are not commonly found in Michigan and are not a significant threat.

But there is always a risk of import. They don’t like cold weather, but have managed to set up camp in places as far north as Massachusetts, moving indoors during winter (great).

When it comes to their signs of building a mound, you will want to look for visible soil mounds. They are often in areas that are inundated with the sun.

These mounds are a dome shape and will be highly active during the hottest part of the day.


What Type of Ants are There in Michigan?

Over 113 different types of ants make Michigan their home. However, there are two that are the most common- the carpenter ant and the acrobat ant. The carpenter ant, of course, is the most common one to be seen in Michigan.

When it comes to stinging, much like the red ant, the acrobat ant has quite the bite. Unlike the fire ant, though, the acrobat ant’s sting is not nearly as painful and usually only lasts a few minutes when it comes to that pain.


Tips to Deal With Red Ants

As mentioned above, though fire ants are not common in Michigan, they have been known to show up. Most commonly, the ants that people assume are red ants that are stinging are actually acrobat ants.

Either way, you can use some home remedies to get rid of them to ensure your safety from these annoying insects. Here are some of the best ways:

1. Cayenne

With this remedy, you’ll want to start by putting a large quart pan of water on the stove and boiling it. Then take four sliced cayenne peppers and place them in a glass jar. On top of that, add a couple of heaping scoops of cayenne powder. 

Then while the water is still hot, pour it over the ingredients of the glass jar. Let this combination sit for a day so that all the peppers can steep in the water. Once you’ve done this, you have a great anti-ant spray that doesn’t have such an irritating chemical smell.

2. Lemon Water

This may be one of the simpler options. Take some lemon juice and water in equal amounts and mix them together. Pour them into a spray bottle and then utilize the spray in high-traffic areas for ants. This is one that you’ll have to do consistently in order for it to have any major effect.

3. Vinegar

Another remedy for an ant situation that you may have hidden away in your pantry cabinets is vinegar. With this solution, you’re going to need vinegar, baking soda, and water. Taking equal parts of each of them, you’re going to pour them into the actual hole of the ant colony.

You can also put this in a spray bottle and spray it in high-traffic areas as well.

Vinegar’s strong smell is very unpleasant for ants (and for some humans!). Though the vinegar smell for you will fade out, the ants will continue smelling it for quite a while. This will not kill the ants, but will drive them away, which is half of the battle.

Vinegar’s strong smell is very unpleasant for ants (and for some humans!). Though the vinegar smell for you will fade out, the ants will continue smelling it for quite a while. This will not kill the ants, but will drive them away, which is half of the battle.


Conclusion

Fire ants can be quite a nuisance and lead to some pretty painful situations. Ants, in general, are a nuisance for most, but having one with such a serious sting can be frustrating. So though Michigan does not tend to have fire ants, it does have a wide range of different types of ants, including one that does have a bit of a sting: the acrobat ant.

However, their sting is nowhere near as painful as the fire ants, so people in Michigan should be very happy that there are no major fire ant issues to contend with.

About those Michigan winters, though…