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 postule. 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 Picture.
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 FireAnt Bites:

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. Do not break the blisters.
Disinfect the area with alcohol.
Place a cool compress or ice to relieve the swelling and pain.
Commercial products such as StingEze, calamine lotion, etc., will numb the area for a while.
Or for a home remedy for fire ant bites, quickly apply a thick paste of baking soda and water, or bleach and water, or meat tenderizer and water. 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.
Spraying a topical (cortisone) or taking a systemic (oral) antihistamine (like Benadryl) will help prevent allergic reactions and swelling.
Avoid scratching the pustule, which can lead to infection.
Persons allergic to insect stings should seek medical attention immediately to avoid and serious injury.