Summer Break and the Wave of Ants it Brings

Have you or your children been bitten by fire ants? – This post describes how they bite & how to quickly stop the pain, swelling, & itching they cause with an inexpensive household remedy.

These ants don’t just sting once, if you let them they will attack 7-8x. While biting you they use their mandibles to hold on while they hit you again and again with their stinger in a circular pattern if you let them. In addition, encounters with fire ants usually involve several or even  hundreds of ants. Therefore, the amount of fire ant bites in an attack can be significant with each one of those fire ants stinging multiple times.

How do you keep your kids safe?

1. Don’t go outside without foot protection.  Preferably closed toe shoes.  Flip flops don’t do much for you especially if you are gardening or weeding a flower bed.
2. Teach them what ants look like? Do your kids know what to watch for? I trained my kids carefully after having one of them step in a fire ant bed at the age of  5 or 6 and having to learn the hard way.  The future siblings were taught before another terrifying event occurred.
3. Be careful after massive rain – Ants don’t drown during a flood, they float to form an ant “raft”. If you were to walk through a floating colony, the ants would quickly swarm and attack you. Scary isn’t it? If you type “ant rafts” into Google and you will be afraid….. VERY afraid….
4. Ammonia is the quickest solution once you have been bitten –  you have to dab straight ammonia on the sting with a cotton ball.  Then let it sit for approximately 2 minutes and the burning will fade. The smell isn’t pleasant but the results are effective. After letting it sit for two minutes you may wash it off with water to remove the scent.

Can you die from an ant bite?

It is “highly unusual” for a person to die from ant bites, though it’s very possible for a person to have an allergic reaction and, if serious enough, could kill them.

Symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction include swelling of the lips, throat, ears, eyelids, palms and soles of the feet; hives; dizziness; wheezing or shortness of breath; and a sudden drop in blood pressure. Doctors say without medical treatment anaphylactic shock can lead to death in less than an hour.

How do I kill the fire ant colonies?

We recommend contacting us online for a free quote or calling us at 850-682-5354 so that we can assess how widespread the colony is and assist you in getting them removed. These are pests that can ruin a summer outing with family and should be kept under control by a professional. Protect your children today and contact us!!