Overwinter Survival of the Red Imported Fire Ant: Effects of Various Habitats and Food Supply 1

Survival of colonies of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, during the record-breaking low winter temperatures of 1976–77 was low (4–42%) in the Piedmont Plateau in central Georgia. Most surviving colonies were near trees or ditches which were protective weather barriers. Occasionally, colonies survived in open unprotected fields. Provision of supplemental food did not increase survival. Mortality was low in the Coastal Plain in southern Georgia.