Their life cycle and social behavior are surprisingly complex. Although not essential, the fire ant mound is usually the most obvious part of the colony. The height of the mound and the depth to which the core extends into the soil are determined by factors such as colony size and age and soil texture and moisture. Radiating out from the mound are underground tunnels that open to the surface several inches to several feet away. These are passages that worker ants use to leave and return to the colony.
Workers forage for food on the surface and bring it back to be processed.
Workers are produced by queen ants that are little more than egg-laying machines. A typical queen may lay more than a thousand eggs a day and may live for 2 years or more unless food is limited. Most colonies have only one queen. Eggs hatch in about a week into legless larvae that go through several growth stages. After 6 to 12 days as larvae, developing fire ants enter a transitional pupal stage that lasts for 9 to 16 days.