Oh boy. Springtime has its moments of splendor (like the return of hummingbirds and butterflies), but there’s one creature we could definitely do without in the Palmetto State: the red imported fire ant. And the worst part is this mighty little venomous critter can be anywhere. Now that warmer temperatures have arrived, watch you step, South Carolina, because the red imported fire ant is already gunning for you.
There are few things that truly have the power to give us a good case of the heebie jeebies (spiders, snakes, you get it… ) but the red imported fire ant is at the top of the list once spring and summer arrive in South Carolina.
Flickr/Judy Gallagher
Just one colony of fire ants has the potential to include several mounds, multiple queens (although one is the alpha queen), and a few hundred thousand worker ants (both male and female). There can also be more than one mound per colony.
Flickr/Insects Unlocked What’s more: those mounds can grow to nearly 15 inches in height. But it’s not the large mounds most experienced humans look for.
And by ’experienced’ we mean those who’ve been attacked by fire ants… it’s the smaller, less obvious mounds that you have to watch your step around.
Flickr/Bart Everson
A fire ant bite (also called a sting) can wreak all sorts of havoc on humans ranging from a raised pustule to eczema and even anaphylactic shock. The first sign of a sting is usually a burning sensation.
© AntWeb.org / CC BY-SA 3.0 Roughly 14 million people in the United States are bitten each year — and that’s only in the warmer climates where ants can survive. In short, the fire ant bites only to get a grip on you — and then whips around with its tail to insert a toxin. Ouch.
However, unlike another much-feared insect — the mosquito, or no-seeum — ants do not feed on the blood of their victims. Instead, fire ants are foragers that eat meat and plants. It’s said that a colony of red imported fire ants has the ability to even attack a small animal, killing it for food (although we’ve never heard a report of such an attack).
taffpix / iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection via Getty Images
During the spring, and usually soon after a rainfall (within 24-48 hours), the red imported fire ant takes flight during the mating season. Some queens are known to fly as far as a couple of miles from the colony. Males follow, of course. This ritual takes place on plants, where you can see a partial brood clinging to a plant, either in a cluster or strung along a limb.
Flickr/ stevenw12339
The red imported fire ant mostly likely arrived in the US from Argentina via a cargo ship that arrived in Mobile, Alabama, in the 1930s or 1940s. It has since spread to at least 13 states and northern Mexico.
Flickr/Judy Gallagher
Flickr/Insects Unlocked
What’s more: those mounds can grow to nearly 15 inches in height. But it’s not the large mounds most experienced humans look for.
Flickr/Bart Everson
© AntWeb.org / CC BY-SA 3.0
Roughly 14 million people in the United States are bitten each year — and that’s only in the warmer climates where ants can survive. In short, the fire ant bites only to get a grip on you — and then whips around with its tail to insert a toxin. Ouch.
taffpix / iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection via Getty Images
Flickr/ stevenw12339
What should you do if you get stung by a fire ant? Ice the area for 15 minutes at a time. Elevate the arm or leg that was stung. Take an antihistamine if you know you can tolerate that sort of medication. If you are allergic to insect stings or bites, then seek emergency help immediately.
Now that you know more about those pesky little fire ants, do you still have the heebie jeebies? We’re right there with ya!
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