The ants are not essential to culture "in captivity"- even if they are essential to its survival as a species in the wild. I do get ants in my garden entering my greenhouse - the honeydew exuded from leaves when plants are in active growth is I expect irresistible !. I also grow maybe a dozen Schomburgkia plants - two each of several different species including thomsoniana , and the ants are not all interested in them and don't live in them ; of course they would not be fire ants over here.
But they are very difficult things to get rid of - what has finally done for them here is the very wet weather we have had for some months now, which must have flooded their nests in the garden, usually made under paving .
Incidentally I have one plant of Schomb. thompsoniana which has ben in flower for 4 months now - flowering successionally on the same spike - always half a dozen flowers out and more buds developing. I guess this is due to our different climate, and if I were to bring it to you,Angela, it would have a much better display, but all at once.