The bodies of fire ants, like all insects' bodies, are broken up into three sections: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen, with three pairs of legs and a pair of antennae. Fire ants can be distinguished from other ants by their copper brown head and body with a darker abdomen. The worker ants are blackish to reddish, and their size varies from 2mm to 6 mm (0.12 in to 0.24 in). These different sizes of the ants can all exist in the same nest.

A typical fire ant colony produces large mounds in open areas, and feeds mostly on young plants, seeds, and sometimes crickets. Fire ants often attack small animals and can kill them. Unlike many other ants, which bite and then spray acid on the wound, fire ants only bite to get a grip and then sting (from the abdomen) and inject a toxic alkaloid venom called Solenopsin, a compound from the class of piperidines. For humans, this is a painful sting, a sensation similar to what one feels when burned by firehence the name fire antand the aftereffects of the sting can be deadly to sensitive individuals. Although fire ants do not typically seek out and attack the face, they are as likely to attack an exposed and vulnerable face as any other body part. The venom is both insecticidal and antibiotic. Researchers have proposed that nurse workers will spray their brood to protect them from microorganisms.

Fire ants nest in the soil, often near moist areas, such as river banks, pond edges, watered lawns and highway edges. Usually the nest will not be visible as it will be built under objects such as timber, logs, rocks, pavers, bricks, etc. If there is no cover for nesting, dome-shaped mounds will be constructed, but this is usually only found in open spaces such as fields, parks and lawns. These mounds can reach heights of 40 cm (15.7 in).

Colonies are founded by small groups of queens or single queens. Even if only one queen survives, within a month or so the colony can expand to thousands of individuals. Some colonies may be polygynous (having multiple queens per nest).

Fire Ant Stings

Fire ants are very prominent in and around Hartsville SC. The stings can be life threatening to about 1% of the population, serious to about 50%, and very painful to all.

When a fire ant nest (mound) is disturbed, they will attack in mass.

1 day after mass attack 12 hours after fire ant encounter by this toddler

The fire ant bites the flesh to grab hold, and this is done so quickly and sharply that there is little pain. What inflicts the burn (hence the name fire ant) is the venom injected by a stinger.

Reactions to fire ant stings are very common. There are multiple types of reactions that can occur:

Usual Reactions These reactions occur in essentially 100% of people stung by IFAs and include localized pain, swelling and redness at the site of the sting. Within 24 hours, a pus-filled blister will develop at the site of the sting. This blister is not infected; it is caused by a component of the fire ant venom.

Large Local Reactions These reactions are probably allergic in nature and occur in up to 50% of people who are stung by an IFA. Symptoms include a large area of swelling, redness, pain and itching at the site of the sting and occur within 12 to 24 hours of being stung.

Anaphylaxis A whole-body allergic reaction, also known as anaphylaxis, can occur in about 1% of people who are stung by IFAs. This reaction can be severe and even life threatening. Symptoms of anaphylaxis from IFA stings may include any of the following:

• itching all over
• hives or swelling that spreads from the site of the sting
• flushing
• runny nose, sneezing or post-nasal drip
• itchy/watery eyes
• swelling of the lips, tongue or throat
• shortness of breath, wheezing or coughing
• stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• lightheadedness, fast heart rate, low blood pressure or passing out
• sense of panic
• metallic taste in the mouth

Toxic These types of reactions can mimic anaphylaxis, but are due to a very large number of stings typically in the hundreds. However, there is no allergic antibody present; symptoms are caused by the large amount of venom that is injected.

First Aid in case of a Fire Ant Bite

If you are outside your house and you are near a mound, it will be smart to get away from it.

Immediately remove the infested clothes that you have on the moment of the fire ant bite. They will be inside your clothing.

Clean the zone by rubbing alcohol or using soap and water on the affected skin part.

In order to reduce the obvious pain and inflammation use ice packs.

Apply a topical steroid creamer containing Aloe Vera. Also, regular toothpaste can supply a quick and simple relief. Creams or lotions based on hydrocortisone topical ointment or calamine also help.

Try a bleach or even baking soda with water in order to reduce the pain or inflammation.

Monitor carefully for severe allergic reactions for 24 hours. Immediately call 911 or contact a specialized doctor if the affected person encounters any of the allergic reactions mentioned above.

Fire Ant First Aid

Fire Ants

When a Fire Ant mound or food supply is disturbed or threatened, they attack in a swarm!

What to Do Once Youve Been Bitten:

1) Get the fire ants off of you. Since worker ants have attached themselves to gain leverage, they are usually affixed tightly to the skin. Jumping or stomping will not detach them. Neither will jumping into water or running water over them. The preferable means of removing them is to rub them off with your hand or use a cloth. This will serve to detach them quickly.

2) Perform basic first aid. A single fire ant sting may hurt less than a bee or wasp sting, but fire ant stings can be life threatening in some cases. If a person inadvertently stands on or near a nest the may find hundreds of ants attacking them within seconds. They sting simultaneously and repeatedly. In addition, they therefore can result in some intense pain.

Fire ant stings can cause various medical problems from localized sterile blisters to whole body reactions such as anaphylactic shock and occasionally death. Dont panic, though most of the time people have just a few bites and are mainly going to be dealing with some irritation.

If you have been stung by a fire ant, you should softly wash the skin with a mixture of soap and water this will get rid of the venom on the surface. If you have rubbing alcohol around, you also should disinfect the area of the bites. After youre done with that, it is a good idea to put some ice in a washcloth and hold it next to the bites for about 15-20 minutes. That will help keep down swelling and make it a little less irritating the next day.

Fire ant stings are also accompanied by intense itching. Victims need to use care and avoid bursting the pustules that form. This could lead to secondary skin infections and make you need antibiotic treatment, so its very important not to scratch. Taking some Benadryl can help alleviate some of the initial reactions to the stings. If a child has been bitten it can be very difficult to stop them from scratching, but its also very important.

If you have any kind of allergies to either fire ants or to any other stinging insect (bees, wasps, etc.), it is wise to always call a physician in the event of fire ant sting and, of course, it is an emergency if the victim experiences shortness of breath or dizziness, so call 911 immediately if that happens.