Best Time to See Fire Ants in the US
April, March and January is the best time to see fire ants in the United States. This is a national picture built from 35,151 verified iNaturalist observations across 18 states, showing when and where fire ants are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
35,151 verified observations of fire ants in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When fire ants are recorded in the US
Peak month
April
7,023 records (20% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Januarypeak | 4,155 | 11.8% |
| February | 3,978 | 11.3% |
| Marchpeak | 4,226 | 12% |
| Aprilpeak | 7,023 | 20% |
| May | 3,203 | 9.1% |
| June | 1,490 | 4.2% |
| July | 1,109 | 3.2% |
| August | 1,119 | 3.2% |
| September | 2,405 | 6.8% |
| October | 2,926 | 8.3% |
| November | 2,065 | 5.9% |
| December | 1,452 | 4.1% |
Fire Ants you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Red Imported Fire Ant | 35,151 |
Across the country, fire ants sightings peak in April, when 7,023 of the 35,151 annual observations are logged, about 20% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through April, March and January.
The best states to see fire ants by recorded sightings are Texas (19,598), Florida (5,540), North Carolina (2,561), Georgia (1,867) and Louisiana (1,546). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The fire ants you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Red Imported Fire Ant, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see fire ants
- fire ants in Texas19,598 sightings, peak April
- fire ants in Florida5,540 sightings, peak March
- fire ants in North Carolina2,561 sightings, peak April
- fire ants in Georgia1,867 sightings, peak April
- fire ants in Louisiana1,546 sightings, peak April
- fire ants in South Carolina1,223 sightings, peak March
- fire ants in Alabama1,166 sightings, peak February
- fire ants in California417 sightings, peak April
- fire ants in Mississippi395 sightings, peak March
- fire ants in Arkansas345 sightings, peak April
- fire ants in Oklahoma237 sightings, peak April
- fire ants in Virginia221 sightings, peak April
- fire ants in Tennessee22 sightings, peak April
- fire ants in Maryland9 sightings, peak May
- fire ants in Kansas1 sightings, peak March
Most-recorded fire ants species nationwide
- Red Imported Fire Ant35,151 records
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see fire ants in the US?+
April is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through April, March and January, based on 35,151 verified observations across 18 states.
Which states are best for seeing fire ants?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are Texas, Florida and North Carolina. Texas leads with 19,598 verified observations.
How many fire ants sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 35,151 verified fire ants observations are logged on iNaturalist across 18 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of fire ants live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Red Imported Fire Ant, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.