This introduced species' habitat is limited to northwest Alabama and northeast Mississippi. This ant is found from the Carolinas and Florida west to Arkansas and Texas. All of Alabama is considered to be infested with this particular ant. This is a cross between the red and the black imported ants and is found where the ranges of these ants merge with one another in northwest Alabama and northeast Mississippi. Fire ants use their stingers to immobilize or kill prey and to defend ant mounds from disturbances by larger animals.
Any disturbance sends hundreds of workers out to attack anything that moves.
The process of stinging releases a chemical, which alerts other ants, inducing them to sting, too. In addition, one ant can sting several times without letting go with its mandibles. Once stung, humans experience a sharp pain, which lasts a couple of minutes. Then the sting starts itching and a welt appears. Fire ant venom contains alkaloids and a relatively small amount of protein compared to other stinging insects.