【Background】The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is an invasive pest of economic importance. Whole nest chemical eradication can be achieved by horizontal transfer of insecticides through contact mediated by the habits of grooming or trophallaxis. The potential of horizontal transfer of the insecticide indoxacarb within fire ant nest is unclear. 【Method】The effects of dose, donor-recipient ratio, and time allocated for horizontal transfer indoxacarb among fire ant workers were studied by using a donor-recipient model. 【Result】Higher doses of indoxacarb resulted in greater recipient mortality. The mortality of the recipients ranged from 14.1 to 70.0% when exposed to 25 ng·worker-1. A dose of 50 ng·worker-1 killed 100% of the recipients. Donor-recipient ratio significantly affected the exchange rate of indoxacarb. With a 1∶1 donorrecipient ratio, mortality reached 100%. Recipient mortality increased as exposure time increased. The highest 8.0% mortality occurred after exposed 12 h indicating a delayed activity of indoxacarb. 【Conclusion and significance】The effects of dose, time, and donor-recipient ratio on the horizontal transfer of the indoxacarb among the fire ant workers provided a basis for the application of the insecticide.