The Fire Ant Bite

FireAnt Bites and Stings

Fireants are most notorious for their stinging behavior and the burning sensation they produce (hence the name “fire ant”). A person or animal disturbing the nest will find they are swarmed with hundreds of ants. But you do not need to disturb the nest to get bitten. These ants are tiny and easy to miss. You won't feel them crawling on you. You'll just feel the sting, which is like a bad mosquito bite. Since you can't feel them, you could have lots of them crawling on you, maybe under your socks or shirt, and not know it until they start biting.

Most often the ants have been crawling on you for 10 seconds or more before they grab the skin with their mandibles, double over their abdomens, and inject their stingers, containing a toxic alkaloid venom. A single fireant can bite and sting its victim repeatedly and will continue to do so even after their venom sac is empty. The stings often leave a burning and itching sensation, usually followed by the formation of a white pustule. There will not always be a white pustule. The bites may take up to several weeks to disappear. The blisters become itchy and are prone to infection if they are broken. So try real hard not to scratch them open. If they are not properly cleaned or treated, they may cause an infection or leave permanent scarring.

About 40% of people in infested areas each year are bitten by fire ants. The total number of people bitten each year is 20 million!

About 15% of people who fall victim to fireant stings are hypersensitive to the venom and can react quite strongly, often suffering from chest pains, nausea, dizziness, hives, swelling, shock or, in rare cases, lapsing into a coma. People demonstrating these symptoms after being stung by fireants should get medical treatment immediately. Although extremely rare, some deaths have been documented as having been caused by fireant stings.

Because of this, and occasional stories of people or animals killed by multiple stings, people have a fear fireants. (No kidding!) In some areas of infestation, playgrounds, parks, and picnic areas go unused because of the presence of fireants.

Fire Ant Bite Pictures


Usually have a white pustule, although not always.	They may simply be about a 1/4" raised red mound.	After several weeks.

FireAnt Bite Treatment, Remedy for Treating Fire Ant Bites

Seek medical attention immediately if you have any of these symptoms: severe chest pain, severe sweating, slurred speech, loss of breath, serious swelling or nausea. These could be the result of an allergic reaction.

Avoid scratching the pustule, which can lead to infection. Do not break open the pustules. Even if they are thoroughly cleaned, you run the risk of infection and scarring. Just leave them alone.

Initially:

Move quickly away from the nest.
Remove or kill any remaining ants on the skin or clothing – to prevent further stings.
Gently wash the area with soap and water to rid the skin of any venom on it.
Place a cool compress or ice to relieve the swelling and pain.

Commercial Products:

Disinfect the area with alcohol.
Do not break the blisters.
Apply a commercial product to numb the area and relieve itching for a while.
Spraying a topical (cortisone) or taking a systemic (oral) antihistamine (like Benadryl) may help prevent allergic reactions and swelling.

Home Remedy for Treating Fire Ant Bites:

There are numerous home remedies for fire ant bites. We list some here for educational purposes only, with no guarantee that they will work.

After washing the bites, quickly apply:
- Baking soda and water (thick paste)
- Bleach and water (half and half)
- Meat tenderizer and water (thick paste)
- Ammonia
- Crushed aspirin (thick paste)
- Salt (thick paste)
- Tea Tree oil (may also be good for other insect bites, such as, chiggers, fleas and mosquitoes)
- Aloe jell
- Alternately apply for five minutes: cotton ball soaked in ammonia, followed by a cotton ball soaked in peroxide. Continue for 20 minutes.
- Dishwashing liquid
- Fresh piece of onion
These can reduce the pain and itching. You can carry a small spray bottle of one of these mixtures with you to use immediately if you know you will be in an infested area that is not close to the house.
Apply an ice cube to reduce pain and itching
Although we do not recommend breaking open the pustules, you may try opening and draining each of the larger pustules and immediately apply a lot of antiseptic, such as iodine.