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Fire Ants in Pavers and Around the Pool Deck: Why They're There
Family-run, licensed and insured pest control in South Florida.
$50 OFF your first service + FREE inspectionNew customers · No code needed · No expirationFire ants in pavers are a South Florida classic: a little pile of sand pops up between the stones on Monday, and by the weekend someone's ankle finds it. The sand under pavers and along pool-deck seams is loose, warm and drains fast, and nobody digs there, which makes it a comfortable place for a colony. Raking the pile or hosing it down just moves them a few feet. Here's why they pick these spots, what not to do near the pool, and how treatment reaches the colony.
Why fire ants pick pavers and pool decks
UF/IFAS notes that in urban areas fire ants nest under patio slabs, the edges of sidewalks, foundations, driveways and electrical boxes, and that after heavy rain a colony may move to higher ground (UF/IFAS fire ant fact sheet). A raised paver patio or pool deck is exactly that: hard cover on top, loose sand underneath, and dry ground when the yard floods.
Florida's sandy soil also changes what a colony looks like. UF/IFAS points out that fire ants here may not build the big dome mounds you'd see in clay soils (UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions). Around pavers, you often see only loose sand in the joints.
How to spot fire ants in pavers
- Fine, loose sand piled in the joints between pavers, especially after rain
- Pavers that sink or rock when you step on them, since a nest underneath can wash the sand out
- Mounds along the edge where the deck meets the soil or the pool cage
- Activity around the pool pump pad and other equipment
- Ants that swarm up fast when the sand is disturbed
Not every ant in the pavers is a fire ant. Fire ants are reddish-brown, come in mixed sizes, and come out aggressively when disturbed. The red imported fire ant page has photos, and the little fire ant is the other one to know.
Fire ants on the pool deck: stings and bare feet
Pool decks are where kids and guests walk barefoot, so that's where most stings happen. A fire ant sting usually turns into a small white pustule within a day. Leave it alone. If someone has trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, dizziness or hives spreading away from the sting, call 911 right away.
Keep kids and pets off treated areas until dry, and follow your technician's instructions.
What not to do
- No gasoline or other fuels. Never, and especially not near the pool or the pool equipment.
- No boiling water on pavers or near pool equipment.
- Don't dig or rake the mound. It scatters the ants and they rebuild nearby.
- Don't rely on a store spray on top. It hits the ants you see, not the queen underneath.
Home remedies rarely reach the queen. That's also why ants come back after spraying; our post on ants that keep coming back after spraying explains it.
How to get rid of fire ants in pavers and along the deck
Our yard treatment for ants is aimed at the colonies near where you live. We treat active mounds next to your home, patio, walkways and doors, including the pool deck edges and the soil around pool equipment. Perimeter treatments help keep them from moving toward the home, and quarterly service lets us catch new mounds before they become a problem.
We never apply anything into or toward the pool water, and we don't treat the whole yard. We don't treat grass or plants, and we don't repair or re-sand pavers. If the pavers have sunk, a paver contractor can reset them after the ants are under control.
After big storms, check the deck again. Our post on floating fire ants after flooding covers what happens when water pushes colonies up.
Our general pest plan is $125 per quarter, about $42 a month, and monthly or custom schedules are quoted after the inspection. For plan customers: "If pests come back between visits, so do we, at no extra cost." There are no long-term contracts and no cancellation fees, just a simple service agreement. We're family-run and licensed, with 30+ years in the business, and hablamos español. See our pest control and ant control pages, and our guides.
Fire ant questions
Why are there ant hills between my pavers?
Can fire ants damage pavers?
Is it OK to pour boiling water on fire ants by the pool?
How often do fire ants come back around the pool?
Get the pool deck back.
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