Fire ants.....and my poor feet...

[Dax]

This has been an awful summer. Both mine and my DH's feet have at all times at least one fire ant bite. Worst part about them is it is a multiple day pain issue.

Initial : The bite! This is painful enough. And if you dont kill the little bugger, they will bite again.

24hrs later: In the place you were bittten, a small pimple like sore, that hurts, ALOT. Only relief..pop it....can get kinda gross...

48hrs to a week later: you are stuck with a sore that is red and hurts.

So who else deals with them? Is it a never ending battle. And since I have bought a house, it is worse...I have a yard that they have invaded...and they are tough to combat due to the dogs....

GRRRRRR....my poor feet

 

[Scarlett & Rhett]

We want a picture of your feet.

 

[holycow]

Oh, your poor feet!
A DF of mine went out in her back yard to examine the termines in her kitchen window and ended up in an ant hill!
Her poor feet and legs...she couldn't even wear shoes it hurt so bad!
Take care!

HC

 

[marlasmom]

We are in Winter Haven not far from you and boy do we have them too. Someone pmd me and told me that white vinegar takes the sting out. I just bought a bottle and I will try it. Amdrol (or something like it) kills them, but like you I worry about all that poison and the dog. The U.S. Extension Service said that they have developed some kind of bug that eats the fire ants. They are trying it out in Tallahasse and if it works will bring it here. I don't know how long that will take. Can't be soon enough for me.

 

[CyranoJones]

I went into anaphylactic shock the fourth time I was stung/bit by a fireant. My first and only ambulance ride and I was unconscious for it! LOL!

They are such nasty little insects!! Do be careful.

 

[joats]

Oh the pain!!!
They aren't really around these parts too often, but I got bit by a fire ant in my hotel room at WDW last year!
I didn't know what was going on. We were in the honeymoon suite at WL and there were fire ants on the balcony.
Bit me right inbetween the toes. Hurt for days!

Wow, I feel so bad that you all can have this experience often!

 

[Lanshark]

We have them here in Atlanta and have found that Amdro works wonderfully on them. As soon as Dh sees a mound of the little devils he puts the Amdro out. That has keep them under control this summer.

 

[goudaman40]

Use grits to kill them! It's cheap - poor grits around the mound and the worker ants take them in and eat them along with the queen. When they drink water it expands in their tummies and also when it rains it expands in their hill.

We would also pour gas on and around the mound if it was too bad - you get alot of bare spots in the grass though.

These are the Louisiana remidies.

 

[Needs Motivation]

A lady at work was just telling me her feet were bitten by fire ants. She had to rub Blue Star ointment on her feet to deal with the itching.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Not only do their bites tear me up, I'm allergic to them!!! Wherever they bite me, I blow up like a balloon!! Not pretty at all! I'm so aware of ant hills now you wouldn't believe, especially if I'm wearing my clogs, that's when they tear my feet up! I'll never forget the year I was standing outside of our home when DH and I lived in base housing and we were talking to a friend. I had no idea that I was standing in an ant hill. Let me just tell you, you've never seen a 200 pound+ woman move that fast. I had my pants off by time I closed the door and I was in the shower with half my clothes still on. They tore up my feet, but thank goodness I caught them before they got the rest of me. I had to pop the bites as days went by and I was constantly putting benadryl on the bites to soothe them, it all worked out quite nicely.

 

[Planogirl]

I feel for those of you that react to a fire ant's bit. I don't but they hurt so bad! I use Bactine to relieve the sting.

I hadn't heard of using grits. I use Amdro too and it works like a charm thank goodness.

 

[gshoemate]

Oh my goodness, a few years ago I was bit on the foot, I didn't know you were supposed to pop it. I swear I had the bump for a year.

 

[janette]

I'm very sensitive to ant bites, have even had hives when I had several bite me once. I always take benadryl if I have a bite, only at night because it wipes me out but it does wonders for the itching at swelling.

 

[fklhou]

I hate fire ants. The kids tease me about how much enjoyment I take in going around and dosing any fire ant beds that I find.

Be careful because multiple bites can lead to an increase risk of shock due to bites. I knew a professional who worked on several deals with me who had to move to Chicago due to an ever increasing allergy to fire ants bite. He kept having more severe reactions to the bites until his doctor told me that without an epi-pen, the next bite could kill him.

 

[olena]

Amdro. Buy a big bag or container and put it in the spreader...like fertilizer. If you see a hill, put some on it. This stuff works fast and it's very effective. The problem with fire ants is that there's not always a mound that you see. It could be completely underground and massive. That makes the spreader method more effective. As for bites, take Benadryl internally and also apply some Benadryl cream to the bite. That should help.

I'm interested in this fire ant-eating bug. If successful, will it also become a pest?

 

[Rajah]

I can't stand fireants, and I'm allergic to them as well. Oddly, I tend to get bitten on the hand more often than the foot, and when I do, my hand swells up for a couple of days and is sore for a week or two. So I can sympathize. I'm having to get allergy shots *specifically* for fire-ants now.