Encounters with fire ants can involve tens or hundreds of ants. They tend to swarm and all sting at once repeatedly. The pain of a fire ant sting can last up to an hour.
Fire ant stings are painful, and can cause:
- a severe burning or fiery sensation
- swelling
- redness.
Unlike other insect stings, fire ant venom builds up in the body. This means the more you, your pet or an animal is stung the greater the risk of an extreme reaction.
In this video, a National Geographic TV host shows us what happens when he's stung by fire ants.
Video credit: National Geographic
After a few hours (or even a day or two), small blisters or pustules may form at sting sites. These may become itchy and can take up to 10 days to heal.
Images courtesy of Alex Wild