Pesky Pest—Big Disruptions

April 9, 2026

It may be hard to imagine, but fire ants can disrupt your electric service. These invasive pests often nest inside padmount transformers (ground-level metal green boxes you may see in your yard or neighborhood) seeking warmth, shelter, and security. Unfortunately, their presence inside this equipment can lead to outages.

Their activity may disrupt power flow or create voltage spikes and drops that can harm household appliances and electronics.

At Union Power, reliability is our top priority. To help prevent these issues, our crews regularly inspect underground electrical equipment throughout our service area, including padmount transformers, and treat them to reduce the risk of infestation.

For your safety, never open electrical boxes or try to treat ants in or around padmount transformers. If you notice a fire ant mound next to a transformer, call 704-289-3145 and speak to one of our customer service representatives.