A particularly tricky pest that you are sure to come across in working with your pest control franchise is the fire ant. The red imported fire ant is an invasive species in America. It is native to South America, and since its introduction into the United States in the 1930’s has spread over every southern state. With outbreaks in Vancouver, Canada, they are also poised to enter America through the Northern border. These little critters present a massive problem to both private and public sectors, costing, according to the FDA, and approximated $5 billion each year in addition to the roughly $750 million in agricultural costs. While these menacing little ants are undoubtedly an issue, you and your pest control franchise stand to gain from the disaster, while doing something to mitigate it.
For private homes, fire ants are a problem for a number of reasons. First and foremost, if they are disturbed, they bite, leaving stinging welts. This is particularly a problem for anyone with pets, especially if the pet is small in size. There have been reports of small dogs being killed after being swarmed by a fire ant colony. They can also affect children and adults, but to less of a degree. That said, they cause massive damage to lawns, gardens, and even houses by crawling into the wiring of a home and destroying it.
In terms of the public sector, fire ants are known to crawl into wiring of traffic lights, causing short circuits, and costing municipal governments money as a result. Not to mention the hits that parks and wildlife preserves take from having fire ants on the premises.
Clearly, something has to be done to manage the outbreak of the red imported fire ant. Many suggest that there is nothing to be done to completely eradicate the problem, and all we can do is make it manageable.
The trick to extirpating fire ants from a particular area is to make sure that the queen ant, which can be as deep down as six feet, is removed so that a new colony cannot be formed as soon as you remove the existing one.
This is where your pest control franchise comes into play. With the spread of fire ants over such a large proportion of America, your business can do something that is both economically savvy, and helpful for those being faced with a red imported fire ant infestation. If your pest control franchise is located in one of the many areas with a fire ant problem, you can offer a service in helping to get rid of the ants.
With fire ants being such a widespread problem, there is ample opportunity for your franchise to profit from these invasive ants. Make your pest control franchise known as the go-to option for eradicating red imported fire ants. Because, as previously mentioned, they cannot be completely removed, but merely controlled, while you are doing your part to help manage the outbreak, there will always be business in managing their population.
With your pest control franchise, you can help to manage the fire ant control in your area. This will not only save individuals and organizations a large sum of money, but it will help to make make a happier, healthier ecosystem in your region. Where there is a healthy ecosystem, there is a healthy economy. You can do your part to make the world a better place, while also creating a thriving business for yourself.
To learn more about how you can start your pest control franchise through Lawn Doctor and make your way towards helping control the fire ant outbreak, contact us at 1.866.LAWN DOC (1.866.529.6362).
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