Q: With all the advertising of fire ant poisons, I wonder how likely it is that the ants in my lawn are really fire ants? Could they be some other kind of ant?

A: Good question! Most fire ant poisons are effective only against fire ants. There are many other species of ants you might encounter. Fire ants make distinctive mounds, usually much higher and wider that native ants. If you see a mound that is more than two inches high and six inches wide, suspect fire ants.