Foraging workers of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, were observed to respond to the presence of hot dog slices. The ants detected the odor of this food lure from an overhead distance of at least 3 cm and possibly as far as 5 cm. In addition, more foraging ants accumulated over time underneath the lures compared to the nontreated check (no hot dog slice). The technique used could help develop food lures detectable by ants at greater distances to improve detection and management programs.