The answer to 'what do fire ants look like' is that fire ants are small, reddish-brown insects typically 1/8 to 1/4 inch long. They have a rounded body shape with a distinct head, thorax, and abdomen. Fire ants have six legs, two antennae, and a stinger at the end of their abdomen that they use to deliver a painful sting.
Fire ants live in large mounds or nests in the ground, often in open, sunny areas like lawns, gardens, and parks. The mounds can be several feet wide and a foot or more tall. When the nest is disturbed, thousands of fire ants will emerge to defend their colony.