Fire Ant Attack ... Not A Fun Time In The Garden

Wahoogaz · ‎03-12-2010

I dug up a dead plant last night and fire ants came swarming out of the hole. My two hairless dogs were there with me, so my first reaction was to grab them and get them out of the area. By the time I got to the hose to get the ants off me, they'd done quite a bit of damage. I must have 20 stings on one foot and 15 on the other leg/foot. First time I've ever been stung by them ... not pleasant. I already take allergy medicine, so I just put ice packs over the worst areas for a while and have been using Cortisone-10 on the stings. I had to put shoes on this morning to go to the store for water for the aquariums, but the rest of the day has been barefoot.

I've sprayed the area several times, so hopefully the ants are gone. I will be keeping a close eye out for them now.

Thankfully, the dogs were untouched.

Usually the garden is so relaxing ...

Annabellethecat66 · ‎03-12-2010

@Wahoogaz Wow! I'm glad you are getting better. Just reading your post gave me chills.

I can't imagine how bad it hurts. I've never seen these kind of ants, but I can imagine.

OKPrincess · ‎03-10-2013

@Wahoogaz I’ve been stung by fire ants more than my share on the Farm as a youngster. My uncle would pour gasoline on the fire ant beds to get rid of them. Very unpleasant.

I dont remember what I was treated with but my aunt used coal oil on my yellow jacket strings.

BriggsiePeawiggle · ‎03-09-2010

EEEEEEK and omg. That sounds horrible. What state are you in? I don't think we have them in Michigan......I don't think but not sure. I've never seen them. A couple years ago I pulled out a dead rose bush and a huge nest of weird ants with yellow butts came out. They smelled like citronella.

StylishLady · ‎03-11-2010

We get them once in a while here, but I quickly apply the ant killer granules as soon as I can. I've been stung more times by hornets than by those ants.

Wahoogaz · ‎03-12-2010

@BriggsiePeawiggle wrote:
EEEEEEK and omg. That sounds horrible. What state are you in? I don't think we have them in Michigan......I don't think but not sure. I've never seen them. A couple years ago I pulled out a dead rose bush and a huge nest of weird ants with yellow butts came out. They smelled like citronella.

I'm in New Mexico.

Still keeper of the koi · ‎05-04-2017

@Wahoogaz,Early may I was prepping pots,turned over a five gallon pot ,a nest of fire ants..Was bitten under my long sleeve shirt hundreds of times. My arm swelled in blisters ,that oozed into red welts .Went to ER.from feeling faint days later,was given predisone and kept overnight.Fast forward 3 weeks later hosted a fancy wedding covered in scabs inside of arm,looked like a crack fiend,embarrassing, make up couldn't hide.Still now have scars,terrible from ants.Watch ,strange things with this heat,I was bitten by a chipmunk while pulling weeds,got antibiotics for it recently.Heal quickly,hugs,MaryAnne

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Wahoogaz · ‎03-12-2010

@Still keeper of the koi wrote:
@Wahoogaz,Early may I was prepping pots,turned over a five gallon pot ,a nest of fire ants..Was bitten under my long sleeve shirt hundreds of times. My arm swelled in blisters ,that oozed into red welts .Went to ER.from feeling faint days later,was given predisone and kept overnight.Fast forward 3 weeks later hosted a fancy wedding covered in scabs inside of arm,looked like a crack fiend,embarrassing, make up couldn't hide.Still now have scars,terrible from ants.Watch ,strange things with this heat,I was bitten by a chipmunk while pulling weeds,got antibiotics for it recently.Heal quickly,hugs,MaryAnne
.

Oh my gosh - as annoying as mine are today ... I can't imagine what you went through. Hopefully the scars will fade as time goes on. I'm pretty fair and the sores are really bright red right now, so I'm sure I'll be able to see the marks for quite a while.

Good luck with your continued healing.

JustJazzmom · ‎03-09-2010

@BriggsiePeawiggle wrote:
EEEEEEK and omg. That sounds horrible. What state are you in? I don't think we have them in Michigan......I don't think but not sure. I've never seen them. A couple years ago I pulled out a dead rose bush and a huge nest of weird ants with yellow butts came out. They smelled like citronella.

They are called citronella ants! From whatsthatbug.com: these were found in Ohio.

These ants are often mistaken for winged termites since the winged adults swarm through cracks in basement walls or floors, crawl around, and are attracted to lights. They live in the soil next to the building foundation, under basement floors, in concrete voids or in rotting wood, and feed on honeydew of subterranean aphids and mealybugs, which live on the roots of shrubs planted near residences. Winged forms are dark brown or blackish-brown with brownish, somewhat clouded wings and bodies measuring 3/8 to 1/4 inch long to the wing tips. Workers are pale yellowish-brown, about 5/32 to 3/16 inch long. They cluster around cracks and crevices and, when crushed, give off a strong odor, smelling like “citronella” or a certain kind of toilet soap. They are smooth, shiny, quite hairy, have 12-segmented antennae, one node petiole (long, pointed segment), small eyes on the head, uneven thorax profile, and the ****** opening at the end of the abdomen is circular surrounded by a fringe of hairs. Workers stay underground during the day and forage at night.” Then on BugGuide we found Lemon Ants or Citronella Ants from the genus Lasius (subgenus Acanthomyops) and we believe that is a correct identification for your sighting.

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼

software · ‎06-08-2016

I walked through a fire ant hill wearing flip flops when I was in college, wow they are aggressive. And it hurts.

If there is anything in my yard that can sting, poison, bite, you name it, I'll get it. I wear knee high rubber boots when working in the yard, along with long sleeves and long pants.