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The fire ants are a menace like you said. I had to help one of my (large) tortoises recover for nearly a year because he received a bunch of internal stings when he consumed food that the ants had infiltrated. Lots of damaged alimentary canal to regenerate, but intake during that time would be nothing aside from water. Imagine drinking a slurry of corrosive with little bits of glass for extra fun. The box turtles are far more vulnerable than that tortoise due a difference in skin and scale thickness, eyes and nares aside. And fire ants are drawn to protein/meat.
Boxies are quick to take advantage of marshy areas and vernal pools, so that makes sense. You might have some (or a lot of) Gulf Coast box turtle blood where you are in addition to FL box turtle blood. The whiter heads are associated with some populations of Gulf Coast boxies. I have mostly FL box turtle blood in my area.
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