What Eats Fire Ants?

What Eats Fire Ants?
Written By
Erick Kristian
Erick Kristian
Published: Mar 28, 2011
Updated: Nov 20, 2021
1 minute read

Humans

It may sound strange, but humans are the strongest natural predator of fire ants, with many indigenous groups in South America consuming fire ants are part of their diets. Ants are rich in protein and readily available. The ants are scooped up from their hills with makeshift colanders that sift out the dirt. The ants are fried in a pan and eaten.

Armadillos

Fire ants make up to 50 percent of an armadillo's diet in the American Southwest, according to the University of Texas. These ants spend significantly less time in their nest than other ants, making them easier targets for hungry armadillos.

Phorid Fly

The phorid fly has been used to combat infestations of fire ants. This parasitic fly lays eggs in the head of a living fire ant. When the egg matures and hatches, the ant dies and the larvae eat the ant's body for food. This has earned the phorid fly the nickname "ant decapitator fly."

Advertisement

Anteaters

Anteaters, closely related to the armadillo, also make ants a primary food source. The anteater's long, sticky tongue is capable of slurping up dozens of ants in seconds. The anteater is immune to the bites of the fire ant and happily consumes them. The aggressive anteater looks for ant nests, then disturbs them, causing ants to rush to the surface, where they get gobbled up.

Photo Credits

Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images

Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images

Erick Kristian

Erick Kristian began writing professionally in 2008. He has a strong background in business and extensive experience writing fiction and articles related to spirituality and self improvement which are published on growingeveryday.com.…

Sponsored
HomeSteady Logo

HomeSteady is the ultimate guide for all your household needs, from cleaning and HVAC to electrical, DIY and maintenance.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.