Fire ants are small and fierce creatures. Much like bees, fire ants have stingers loaded with poison, and can attack in swarms of hundreds. However, what makes fire ants even more dangerous is their ability to sneak up on you and climb on your skin without any warning, as well as their ability to sting more than just once. Fire ants have been known to sting time and time again, even after their venom sac is empty.
How should you care for fire ant bites? Well, first of all, kill the ant that is biting you. Search your entire body for more offenders, as they usually attack in teams by sneaking up on you. Due to the fact that fire ants are so small and light, you will not feel the multitude marching up your skin getting ready to bite.
After clearing yourself from the potential of more bites, move to a safer area! Once a fire ant bites, they emit an attack pheromone that calls out to all other fire ants in the area to aid in their attack.
Next step to care for fire ant bites is washing the area. Fire ant venom has the potential to infect the skin, so make sure you try and get most of it off your skin as soon as possible. Warm water and lots of soap are needed because fire ant venom is about 90%+ water insoluble, which means water alone will not get rid of it. It is recommended you massage the area heavily with soap without scratching the fire ant bite and pushing the venom in deeper. Dishwashing liquid would be the soap of choice, since it is made to dissolve thick agents such as oils and fats.
After vigorously washing the area, there are many remedies you may apply to ease the itching and swelling. For starters, take anti-histamines like Benadryl. When bitten by fire ants, your body will release this chemical as a reaction to the ant venom, and this is what causes the burning and swelling.
Ice is a good remedy to combat the burning and swelling. By numbing the fire ant bite area, ice can help you cope with the nasty sensations created by the venom. Other quick homemade remedies for the care of fire ant bites are toothpaste, ammonia, vinegar, tea tree oil, or freshly cut onion applied to the bite. If available, apply hydrocortisone cream topically. It is said that making a thick paste of water and baking soda also helps soothe the area and alleviate symptoms, as well as a paste made from salt or crushed aspirin.
Yet another method to be used in the immediate care for fire ant bites is making a solution of half water and half bleach. This should be done obviously by persons who do not exhibit an extreme sensitivity to the harsh chemical.
Fire ant bites can also incite allergic reactions in some individuals, so if the bitten area swells enormously, if you feel dizzy, short of breath, or are having chest pains, go to your local hospital for professional treatment. For most of us though, fire ant bites are nothing more than extremely painful, itchy, and unattractive.
Sources:
www.fireant.net/Bites/
