A typical fire ant colony produces large mounds in open areas and feeds mostly on young plants, seeds, and sometimes crickets.

Fire ants often attack small animals and can kill them.

Unlike many other ants, which bite and then spray acid on the wound, fire ants only bite to get a grip and then sting (from the abdomen) and inject a toxic alkaloid venom (piperidine).

For humans, this is a painful sting, which leaves a sensation similar to what one feels when they get burned by fire - hence the name fire ant - and the aftereffects of the sting can be deadly to sensitive individuals.