[jnieman]

Originally Posted by Doro22

My husband & I were pulling some weeds in the beds around trees about3 months ago and got terrible stinging on hands. We are pretty sure it was stinging nettles. Ouch!!

As a kid we had lots of nettles on our property. They would bite like a mosquito. Leave a welt. We used rubbing alcohol on them and it helped a lot. I would scratch them then put on the alcohol. It would burn really bad but they would stop itching.

[Chi-Town]

The good news is that fire ants may be on the way out. That may be the bad news also. Look out for crazy ants.

The Rise of the Crazy Ants - Scientific American

[mixsonci]

Now I know why I never do any yard work. Darn good excuse

[Doctor Who]

I was bitten several years ago at a friends home. Felt one bite and looked down to see hundreds on my leg. Sprayed them off with a hose and the hostess applied vinegar to the bites. It did hurt for about 2 hours but the bites did not seem to blister. As a sidelight I ended up with shingles about a week later. These ants can certainly effect your autoimmune system.

[Sandtrap328]

The fire ant sting is an acid based chemical. Neutralize it by dabbing on ammonia with cotton balls. That will take the itching and burning away. Look for any infection signs and go to your doctor if it seems infected.

Best idea - don't pull weeds - have your wife do it! No, no, I didn't mean it!

[SouthOfTheBorder]

We moved from Western PA to GA in the late 70's, where we lived for 35 years.

Soon learned fire ant bites were thought of as a rite-of-passage for newcomers by GA locals.

From our experiences the results last 2-3 weeks and can end up with small scab where the "zit" was located. For us they completely heal and leave no sign of the original bite. I am sure if you have any sensitivity to bites/stings it can be more than a nuisance.

We have used the ammonia and then toothache gel to help stop the itching that is part of the healing process.

Working in the landscape or even searching for an errant golf ball can result in bite or two. I've had a few bites here in TV during the past couple of years doing both.

Good incentive to stay in bounds!

Don

[Gerald]

I always suggest seeing your doctor. Just in case you are sensitive to the bites. Only a doctor will know the correct solution.

[dp000]

After Bite works great...comes in a stick. We keep it in our golf carts and golf bags.