Fire ant is the common name for several species of ants in the genus Solenopsis. They often attack small animals and can actually kill them. Other species of ants will bite and then spray acid to the wound but fire ants have this peculiar habit of 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 could be a very painful sting and the aftereffects of the sting can be deadly to sensitive individuals.

Fire ants can be distinguished from other ants by their copper brown head and body with a darker abdomen. They are about about 1.6 to 5 mm in size. Fire ants like warm, sunny environments and prefer dry fields. They generally avoid shady areas like woods. It is often a tough task controlling fire ants as their colonies often grow large enough to extend across many properties.

The symptoms of fire ant stings depends upon the number of times they are stung and also to the sensitivity of the person stung upon. Normally, a person biten by fire ants will develop itchy bumps appears like localized hives or single lumps at sting sites. Later, in about an hour, these bumps will disappear and tiny blisters may appear within 4 hours of the initial reaction. After 24 hours blisters normally gets filled with a pus-like substance. When healed, the blistered lesions, in many cases, may leave scars. Few people who are sensitive may develop serious allergic reactions.

It may be, therefore, concluded that fire ants can be actually very dangerous and for humans, their stings are not only very painful but the after effects of the sting can be deadly to sensitive individuals.

In case that fire ants are present on your home or outside, you advised to seek services of a professional pest control company to eliminate them and also remove the threat of future invasions. Essen Pest Control is once such company and you can contact them at 613 804 7378.

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