Fire ant bites or stings

[graciegirl]

I have avoided being bitten by the nasty little critters for four years but I was pulling out long strands of Zoysia that were invading my planting beds and I was bitten four times on the right hand by fireants.

My bites now look like this.
fire ant bites - Bing Images (http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=fire+ant+bites&view=detail&id=490E6E8917DA7603690F02906FC4DC68CAE5D29B)

I have read to not disturb the blisters and I have used CalaGel and Cortisone cream and they still sting and itch.

Now this is NOT huge and I am not a baby. (well maybe a bit of a whiner)

Any sage advice?

[In awe of TV]

So sorry to hear about the bites Gracie and unfortunately I don't have any sage advise. However, just as a warning the site you posted is riddled with viruses. I wouldn't suggest that anyone open it. : \

Good luck with the bites, I hope they heal quickly and painlessly.

[redwitch]

Gracie, I get bit a lot (the joys of weeding lol). Sadly, nothing seems to really work but time. The best cream I've found is Benadryl and it only works for a short time. As you said, don't pop the blisters -- just makes it worse and three times as long to heal.

[njbchbum]

gracie - my sister, the nurse, suggests you try using an icepak on your hand when you take the time to sit down and rest [;)] should be applied 10 min on/10 min off and should have a wash cloth or other light material between skin and ice pak.

sounds like a good reason to stop being busy and take a rest!

hope that helps

[ariel]

Hi Gracie. Sorry to hear this happened to you. They are nasty little biters. Not a lot to do but use the topicals with cortisone to make the area feel better. You may find taking oral Benedryl will help. If the blisters seem to be worsening, you may need a little oral Prednisone from your doc. Hope they get better soon.

[mrfixit]

...........

..........PREVENT........spray or rub white vinegar ON your skin Before you go out to area.


.........SOOTHE..........rub non-sudsy Ammonia On the Itch.....

.........WERKES FER ME.

[Dayzee]

Gracie, so sorry you encountered the fire ants - I know from personal experience how much they hurt. All of the suggestions given are good ones - wish I had known about some of these remedies a few years back when a friend of ours accidentally stood on a nest of fire-ants while golfing. He literally had to drop his drawers in order to knock them off his legs. Talk about a sight - it was hard not to laugh - really felt bad for him afterwards. Hope you're feeling better.

[jnieman]

I've used the Benedryl spray for ant bites. It keeps them from itching. Good stuff. (its a small bottle with a spray top)

[Pturner]

Gracie, sorry to hear. Those red ants do pack a mean bite! I discovered something once by happenstance that oddly enough works great for me. Apply benadryl cream and a sports pain relief cream together lightly. It will sting after a few seconds but for me totally takes the itch out. Works for a few hours. If you try it, let me know how it works.

[KittyKat]

[QUOTE] However, just as a warning the site you posted is riddled with viruses. I wouldn't suggest that anyone open it. /QUOTE]

I was anxious to see the pictures and after looking at a few suddenly it said "preloading" and then I got a msg that AVG blocked a virus.

Good luck Gracie.

[missypie]

Gracie,

I do hope you are feeling better. I had those blisters too once but I popped them and then washed well with soap and water. Not the best idea. It did take longer to heal and now I have tiny spots where they once were.

[senior citizen]

I have avoided being bitten by the nasty little critters for four years but I was pulling out long strands of Zoysia that were invading my planting beds and I was bitten four times on the right hand by fireants.

My bites now look like this.
fire ant bites - Bing Images (http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=fire+ant+bites&view=detail&id=490E6E8917DA7603690F02906FC4DC68CAE5D29B)

I have read to not disturb the blisters and I have used CalaGel and Cortisone cream and they still sting and itch.

Now this is NOT huge and I am not a baby. (well maybe a bit of a whiner)

Any sage advice?

I just read that fire ants do produce a venom. The old standby of calomine lotion and/or the cortisone cream does seem to work.

Also, ice it.

Back in 1973 we were walking with our two year old toddler son on a path by the beach when he stepped into a nest of fire ants. He was holding my husband's hand at the time (unfortunately, daddy saw nothing or would have walked around it).

After the screaming was over and we were safely back to our home, we did ice it and then I put calomine lotion on it.........not knowing anything at all about fire ants. He was fine.

However, he had the scars for a long long time.
This same child was attacked in Vermont by a swarm of bees.
Hope you are on the mend.............


How to Relieve Itching & Swelling From Fire Ant Bites | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_7787634_relieve-swelling-fire-ant-bites.html)

Click on hyperlink above ...........for some further info......they also mention the calomine lotion.

P.S. I just remembered that when we were all bit up by "sand fleas" at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, we were told to put "Avon Skin So Soft" on prior to sitting on the sand.
This was Vero Beach on the east coast. It seemed to work to deter the sand fleas; perhaps it will work when you are gardening........but not sure.

[lincap]

I stepped in a mound of fire ants about three weeks ago while playing golf. Ouch!!! I got about 40 bites as they completely covered my shoes and raced up my legs. I was also biten on the hand as I try to brush them off. Horrible. Ice worked best for me. It is three weeks and some still itch!! I now carry "AfterBite" in the golf cart if I get another bite.

[graciegirl]

I stepped in a mound of fire ants about three weeks ago while playing golf. Ouch!!! I got about 40 bites as they completely covered my shoes and raced up my legs. I was also biten on the hand as I try to brush them off. Horrible. Ice worked best for me. It is three weeks and some still itch!! I now carry "AfterBite" in the golf cart if I get another bite.

Oh my dear person! 40!!!!! These five were driving me nuts itching and they hurt too.

Afterbite? Tell us more about it.

[jane032657]

Are fire ants seasonal or year round? How do you protect the dogs? How often do you treat the yard or can you treat the yard so you do not get them? I never heard of these until now!

[anlashokna]

Ouch sorry Gracie. Those little buggers hurt. I've used Neosporin cream not gel on them and it seems to help with itch and inflammation. Hope you feel better and watch carefully where you tread in the yard and garden. :(

[graciegirl]

Are fire ants seasonal or year round? How do you protect the dogs? How often do you treat the yard or can you treat the yard so you do not get them? I never heard of these until now!

Jane,

They are all year 'round Sometimes more than other, like now. But usually easy to spot. They make little sand mountains that you can "salt" with stuff you get at Lowes. Or you can call your lawn pest guy to do it. They don't really bother you unless you disturb them.

Please don't worry that they are like the gnats and the love bugs. We are anxious to get you down here full time so you can see that this place is really not all "buggy".

[jimbo2012]

How do you protect the dogs?

They are capable of killing small dogs

Read this (http://fireant.tamu.edu/materials/factsheets_pubs/pdf/FAPFS014.2002rev.pdf) article

and

Fire ants are deadly to small dogs! A member on another forum lost her little Maltese when he was attacked by fire ants.

When Fire Ants sting it is rarely only one sting. When Fire Ants attack, they attack in large numbers and when the first ant stings it triggers a reaction that causes all the ants to sting at one time. Unlike bees, ants can sting up to 20 times in succession injecting toxin with each sting.

Johnston County Fire Ant Home Page (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/johnston/homehort2/fire_ant/project.html)

Fire Ant Control Methods for Dogs, Cats, Ferrets, and Rabbits (http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=11+1290&aid=3147)

[NotGolfer]

Don't know if this will work or not...but when I was little my mom would make a paste of baking soda and water and apply to itches. Try this and see what happens.

[graciegirl]

They are capable of killing small dogs

Read this (http://fireant.tamu.edu/materials/factsheets_pubs/pdf/FAPFS014.2002rev.pdf) article

and

Fire ants are deadly to small dogs! A member on another forum lost her little Maltese when he was attacked by fire ants.

When Fire Ants sting it is rarely only one sting. When Fire Ants attack, they attack in large numbers and when the first ant stings it triggers a reaction that causes all the ants to sting at one time. Unlike bees, ants can sting up to 20 times in succession injecting toxin with each sting.

Johnston County Fire Ant Home Page

Fire Ant Control Methods for Dogs, Cats, Ferrets, and Rabbits

JIMBO!

You could have gone all day and not said that. This article is from Texas and says something about red fire ants. The ones that bit me were blackish. I don't know if they are the same or not. They can easily be controlled in a space the size of a village villa backyard.

I have NOT heard of a death of a dog on here from fireants and this forum is filled with people who love their dogs. You don't want them bit, of course but can you imagine how saying something like that would make Jane feel? She loves her pets as much as you do.

Please someone who has dogs say something about fire ants.

I am going to get the squirt gun posse out.
(Admin has sent me a note to say that not all folks don't know I am teasing about the squirt gun posse. )

[jimbo2012]

Just do a search "fire ants and small dogs" on Google, it happens a lot.

We have a Chihuahua, and being in Fl for the past 5 winters are very aware of these pests, I had our property sprayed a week before we arrive every winter.

My wife picked up his food dish without looking several years ago and was attacked all over her hand.

[jimbo2012]

JIMBO!

You could have gone all day and not said that.

I am going to get the squirt gun posse out.

So folks should be kept in the dark sorry thems the facts and pet owners need to know the risks.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41P2QW4C68L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[graciegirl]

jimbo!

You could have gone all day and not said that. This article is from texas and says something about red fire ants. The ones that bit me were blackish. I don't know if they are the same or not. They can easily be controlled in a space the size of a village villa backyard.

I have not heard of a death of a dog on here from fireants and this forum is filled with people who love their dogs. You don't want them bit, of course but can you imagine how saying something like that would make jane feel? She loves her pets as much as you do.

Please someone who has dogs say something about fire ants.

I am going to get the squirt gun posse out.
(admin has sent me a note to say that not all folks don't know i am teasing about the squirt gun posse) i am teasing.. )

bump

[KathieI]

Because I'm frequently at a horse farm in Weirsdale, I have been bitten a few times. Sorry to tell you, Gracie, the black ants bite worse than the red ones, although, both are horrible.

Like the other poster said, I stood on an ant hill and didn't realize it until they were up my legs heading for as high as they could go... (lol)... The stinging and burning was just horrible for weeks maybe even months and I literally had scars on my legs for a long time.

The owner of the farm gave me something that is ONLY sold at Walmart, called, Chiggerex Plus - in a small white plastic jar with red cap. Its for Chiggers, Ticks, and all bug bites. It was the ONLY thing that helped and I think I was applying it every hour or so. It does have benzocaine 5.0% in it along with aloe and chamomile. Send sweety out to get this right away, trust me, it will give you relief.

[graciegirl]

Because I'm frequently at a horse farm in Weirsdale, I have been bitten a few times. Sorry to tell you, Gracie, the black ants bite worse than the red ones, although, both are horrible.

Like the other poster said, I stood on an ant hill and didn't realize it until they were up my legs heading for as high as they could go... (lol)... The stinging and burning was just horrible for weeks maybe even months and I literally had scars on my legs for a long time.

The owner of the farm gave me something that is ONLY sold at Walmart, called, Chiggerex Plus - in a small white plastic jar with red cap. Its for Chiggers, Ticks, and all bug bites. It was the ONLY thing that helped and I think I was applying it every hour or so. It does have benzocaine 5.0% in it along with aloe and chamomile. Send sweety out to get this right away, trust me, it will give you relief.

Many thanks. Kathie.

I know that they are nasty and I was trying to assure Jane that the ant hills can be controlled by a good pest service. I think Jane loves her dogs as much as you do, if it's possible.

[jane032657]

I am still in recovery from the blind mosquitos in March when I stayed at our place, I will never forget that week in my life! I will be stocking up on fire ant killer, it is me against them, no one or nothing hurts my English and Irish Setters!!! I would rather be bitten. They are my canine kids.


JIMBO!

You could have gone all day and not said that. This article is from Texas and says something about red fire ants. The ones that bit me were blackish. I don't know if they are the same or not. They can easily be controlled in a space the size of a village villa backyard.

I have NOT heard of a death of a dog on here from fireants and this forum is filled with people who love their dogs. You don't want them bit, of course but can you imagine how saying something like that would make Jane feel? She loves her pets as much as you do.

Please someone who has dogs say something about fire ants.

I am going to get the squirt gun posse out.
(Admin has sent me a note to say that not all folks don't know I am teasing about the squirt gun posse. )

[jimbo2012]

I will be stocking up on fire ant killer, it is me against them, no one or nothing hurts my English and Irish Setters!!!

Jane the ant killers in stores are just not as effective as an exterminators spray, it was 100% not one showed up, my neighbors that didn't spray had them.

Where we were they charged $30 to spray the entire lawn.
Don't know what that costs at TV.

Perhaps someone knows.

You're in a safer position with setters vs the 5-10lb pups.

[KathieI]

Jane, I occasionally get fire ants around the property but I walk the lot a few times a month and as soon as I see a mound, I immediately call my Pest Control who comes out ASAP and treats the mound. His method was sooo much better than mine, I hired them with a total Pest control contract and just love them to death. Each visit is covered by the contract, so its a easy thing to do. Every month, a young man comes and sprays the whole yard and also fertilizes it and my lawn looks wonderful. About 3 or 4 times a year, I have the indoor guy come and spray everything inside including the lanai and garage, so that my doggies cannot get stung by a spider.

We don't get fleas in my house because my dogs never go outside except in my lanai and I keep that well treated. God Forbid, the King and Queen of the house should get a flea on them... OMG,,, they would never forgive me....

[jane032657]

Thanks, I have Dean's pest control, I am dialing now....

[justanormalgirl]

Gracie, I hope you're feeling better by now :)

I was bitten several times when we lived in Ocala but...don't hate me...fire ant bites don't bother me and neither do mosquito or chiggar bites and poison ivy. I have no idea why but I'm o.k. with it! Now, those angry little hornets are another story.....but we won't go there! Whew....whelt city!!

As for dogs and fire ants here is my story...

We had a 3 pound Yorkie several years ago...he came in one morning and started rubbing his face along the base of the couch and the carpet.....I thought he was just rolling around like dogs do but I soon realized he wasn't. When he looked up my husband said he didn't look right, his face looked fat and not just fluffy....then his muzzle started looking bigger and fuller by the second....not his normal 1/2 inch long, narrow snout and button nose....I knew it was a matter of time before it could close his throat with the swelling. I threw my clothes on and called our vet while in the car. Thank God they were open that early! Luckily, his office wasn't too far from our house and he took us right in. He said he had been bitten in his nose by a fire ant, gave him 2 shots that stopped the swelling and reaction almost immediately and our little guy was fine :)

After that we decided to pour a concrete patio and set the fence poles in the concrete so we had a fenced concrete area he could go out on...that way I could see if there were any ants around before he went out.

[graciegirl]

Oh so glad to hear he survived alright. I am glad you fixed the yard to protect him.

About seven years ago I was messing around out in the yard in Ohio and saw some bee-like critters going into a hole in the ground, so I decided to stick the garden hose down the hole and "get rid of them". Wrong.

A trillion or two hornets or yellow jackets came after me and started biting and I ran in the front door and they were on my clothes so I shed them and threw them on the floor and ran to the shower. Our kitty Mikey must have jumped on one of those little buzzing critters because he too got bit on the face. He was o.k. but I felt so bad for him. The bites really stung and burned for several days. Poor Mikey.

[PaPaLarry]

So sorry to hear about the bites Gracie and unfortunately I don't have any sage advise. However, just as a warning the site you posted is riddled with viruses. I wouldn't suggest that anyone open it. : \

Good luck with the bites, I hope they heal quickly and painlessly.
How do you tell?? I'm not that computer savvy!!!

[zcaveman]

How do you tell?? I'm not that computer savvy!!!

Unfortunately you have to open it and then pray that your firewall and virus protection is up to date and catches it.

FYI: When anyone opens a link to a infected site, they should notify admin immediately so that they can take the appropriate action and prevent anyone else from getting affected.

Z

[BernieJr]

Next time you encounter those little buggers, first thing you do is put mouthwash on a rag and wipe the area. The antiseptic in the monthwash takes away the pain and itch. Then do nothing. Don't even thing of trying to pop them. Worst thing ever, scares for life.

[suebanj]

Don't want to alarm anyone but just wanted to say that my sister-in-law died from fire ant bites. She went into Anaphylactic shock and within a day she passed away. Just want to let people know that if they start getting any shortness of breath after being bit, take a benydryl immediately and get to the hospital. She had gotten bitten numerous times over the few years with the usual itching, swelling, pussy bumps but that was it.

Most that get bit just have the itching, etc, but I just wanted to let you know that these ants can kill..just like bee and wasp bites...

They are tiny but watch out!!!

[BarryRX]

In the pharmacy we would recommend as follows: Immediately wash the area and disinfect the area with either betadine or alcohol. Then, an oral antihistamine (benadryl if you can tolerate the drowsiness or Loratadine if you can't). Then, in the palm of your hand mix some cortisone ointment with some antibiotic ointment and apply and cover with a band-aid. If you choose to apply an antihistamine cream, then please be careful about taking an oral antihistamine. It is not recommended to do both.
If you are having any type of allergic reaction or swelling around your face or neck, go to the emergency room. If you have been bitten by more than just a few ants, see your MD as soon as possible. He will probably prescribe a medrol dosepak. Hope you feel better soon Gracie!!

[debzaranti]

Sorry about the bites Gracie. I can sympathize. In my experience I've just had to suffer the pain and itching through to the end (usually 3 weeks for me), then I end up w/a "nice" little scar as a reminder of each sting.

I did a little research on why it's so painful. They don't just bite you w/their mandibles like most ants....well, they DO bite w/their mandibles....but only so they can hang on while they sting and inject venom w/their tails!!! Ewwwww. Creepy little buggers!

[Sable99]

We use Absorbine Junior for red ant bites. Just rub it on with the applicator on the bottle. It takes the itching away immediiately. I'm not sure if it works on any other type of ant bite.