Here in Florida, we have a fire ant problem. Sure, the state has plenty of upsides to balance that out! Sun, sand and a booming economy are just a few things Floridians have to be grateful for. However, I can’t help but notice as I lean down to scratch at the bites on my feet and ankle! So today we’re going to talk about Florida fire ant bites, why they sting so bad and touch on a few home treatments.
Florida Fire Ant Bites: Why do fire ant bites hurt so much?
Now, ant bites aren’t an uncommon thing. I’m sure as a child, we’ve all stumbled into an ant hill and gotten a few itchy little bites. However, these days you won’t find many ants that aren’t fire ants. And fire ants got their name from their painful stings. Yep, you read that right! It’s not actually the ant biting you that causes the long lasting, itching, burning sensation. It’s their venomous stinger!
Most fire ant bites are going to occur when you accidentally step on a mound or hill. The insects will swarm over any exposed skin and grab on with their pincers before stabbing their barbed backsides into you in a circular shape, not stopping until they are killed or removed. It’s even suspected that this venom has some sort of signaling chemical that attracts other ants to come sting the offending target as well.
The symptoms of a fire ant bite begin with a burning or stinging sensation. And then, within about an hour, the bumps or welts will begin to grow in a circular pattern like the insect’s stings. This will last for several hours. Then they’ll turn into very itchy blisters with large whiteheads that last for roughly ten days on average.
Fire ant bites can be dangerous as well. Be it their swarming nature or some signaling chemical, the ants will attack in great numbers anything that disturbs them. So small children and animals can actually be killed by a great enough number of fire ants. On top of that, deadly reactions like anaphylaxis have been reported from fire ant stings.
Florida Fire Ant Bites: How to treat fire ant bites at home
Now, let’s touch on some tips on how to ease the pain and itching of these bites. And you’ll almost certainly be dealing with more than one, as each insect is able to sting multiple times. And as long as you’re only experiencing the swelling, pain, and itching and not a more serious reaction, you can begin to treat the bite.
First things first, you’ll want to ice the bite to reduce the swelling. Use an ice pack or wrap the ice cubes up in a towel or washcloth. You don’t want to put ice directly on the skin, and applying heat won’t really help with an ant bite. Then raise the part of your body above the rest of it at a slight angle to help reduce the swelling. For example, a bite on the ankle may need you to rest your foot on a coffee table while you lie down on your couch. This should help reduce the itching as well.
But if the itching is really, really bad there are other things you could do. For example, taking an antihistamine like Benadryl or Claritin may help as well. An over the counter hydrocortisone cream can be rubbed on the site as well.
Signs of a severe allergic reaction
Now, just to be safe, let’s touch on some symptoms of a more severe reaction. A severe and life threatening response to fire ant venom is known as anaphylaxis. The main symptoms are hives with trouble breathing and swallowing. It starts within 2 hours of the sting. This reaction can occur in up to 2% of children, and that who it is most common in. Hive development is common in severe responses to stings. After fire ant stings, some children just develop hives all over or face swelling. Hives or face swelling alone may be able to be treated at home. But, at times, these symptoms can also lead to anaphylaxis. Be sure to call your doctor now to help you decide.
How to reduce the number of fire ants on your property
So we know that this is a dangerous and invasive species of ant. So let’s cover some basic, simple ways to keep their numbers down around your home. Spot treatment is one of the first options, and for that, you can go read my article on how to use orange oil at home to chase ants out of your garden. Boiling water works as well for spot treating but is more dangerous and less effective of the two options. This is a very old school approach, organic and immediate, though. So don’t be afraid to pour some slowly over a hill that’s come too close for comfort.
Baits are another option, though one I’m less fond of. Conventional recommended treatments involve a “two step” process of broadcast bait treatments and individual mound treatments. But, broadcast baiting may be counterproductive because it can also decrease native ant populations that slow fire ant spread. If there are native ants in your treatment area, try using only individual mound treatments to prevent affecting non-target ant populations. Natural methods are what I prefer over baiting and just covering mounds with insecticides. Both of these methods have a lot of risk for collateral damage.
So a good example of some mound control would be to first use orange oil on the visible mounds above ground. And then three days after that, pouring boiling water down any remnants will keep their numbers suppressed and kill any stragglers. And then excavating the mounds with a long enough shovel to give you time to run away if they swarm up, it is a fine method to check the effectiveness of these methods. Just make sure not to end up covered in some Florida fire ant bites yourself!
