Fire Ants ??

[n2ize]

For several years I used to get large carpenter ants in my bedroom crossing from one end of the room to the other. There were a few mornings then I woke up with one crawling over me. Some of them were pretty darned big too. Finally the problem came to a head when we had a new roof installed on the house. The roofers discovered that there was a hole in the old roof allowing water to leak into the attic and soak the wood in the walls and above the ceiling. Next came a builder who tore down the entire outside wall of the room and part of the ceiling. The wood was rotted and made a perfect place for carpenter ants to nest. Finally when he was cutting through a part of the ceiling that needed to be replace his saw cut through the ants nest and the critters came raining down all over the place. The whole time the ants nest was right over my head. Now I have a new wall, new wood, new ceiling, new window and, best of all, no more carpenter ants.

[KØWVM]

Has anyone ever been bit by a fire ant ? Today (actually yesterday) I was out in park along the highway and I was sitting on a partially destroyed bench from a tree that had fallen on it a couple days ago. The tree was already cut up by county workers but the heavy wood it waiting for removal. All of a sudden I feel what felt like a red hot needle touch my arm. I looked and saw this tiny (about 2mm) long red ant on my arm. I swatted it off but I still got this large, like in 1.5 inch area that swelled up and itched. As a precaution I took an antihistamine (benedry...which also put me to sleep) and put an antihistamine gel on the wound. Now it's no longer swollen, just a little red and itchy in the area where the tiny critter bit me.

Does that sound like a fire ant ? I didn't think we had them this far north but I read that they can withstand cold weather reasonably well. I hear they are nasty fuckers if you happen to disturb one of their ant hills.

Living in Texas for a combined 9.5 years and a few years in NC, I have had my fair share (and then some) of Fire Ant stings. After the pain goes away, the itching thusly commences. They serve absolutely no purpose and were brought here from Africa via the stowaway route.

You see them or their mounds, destroy them with absolute prejudice! Ortho has many products for taking care of these pesky demons. They have been known to overtake a grown human and adult livestock by overwhelming with sheer numbers via stinging them to death.

[KØWVM]

For several years I used to get large carpenter ants in my bedroom crossing from one end of the room to the other. There were a few mornings then I woke up with one crawling over me. Some of them were pretty darned big too. Finally the problem came to a head when we had a new roof installed on the house. The roofers discovered that there was a hole in the old roof allowing water to leak into the attic and soak the wood in the walls and above the ceiling. Next came a builder who tore down the entire outside wall of the room and part of the ceiling. The wood was rotted and made a perfect place for carpenter ants to nest. Finally when he was cutting through a part of the ceiling that needed to be replace his saw cut through the ants nest and the critters came raining down all over the place. The whole time the ants nest was right over my head. Now I have a new wall, new wood, new ceiling, new window and, best of all, no more carpenter ants.

After my dad got stung by these demons (Fire Ants) in the late 70's in Texas, he declared total war on them. He decided to spray a solution of Chlordane, mixed with water back then and for several years we had practically no living pests attempting to or living within the confines of our property. Unfortunately, they no longer make Chlordane (as of 1988 because it was determined to be carcinogenic). Even termites stayed away from our home (neighbor had them in sides of his house) because they could detect it. A few scouts were brave enough to attempt to cross into our yard and were found dead within feet of the property line. Carpenter Ants left the trees in our yard to get away from the Chlordane. This stuff was no joke!

[n2ize]

After my dad got stung by these demons (Fire Ants) in the late 70's in Texas, he declared total war on them. He decided to spray a solution of Chlordane, mixed with water back then and for several years we had practically no living pests attempting to or living within the confines of our property. Unfortunately, they no longer make Chlordane (as of 1988 because it was determined to be carcinogenic). Even termites stayed away from our home (neighbor had them in sides of his house) because they could detect it. A few scouts were brave enough to attempt to cross into our yard and were found dead within feet of the property line. Carpenter Ants left the trees in our yard to get away from the Chlordane. This stuff was no joke!

I concur. I am very familiar with Chlordane and Isotox (an organophosphate similar in potency to Chlordane). These chemicals are nerve agents that derive their potency in a manner similar to the nave "nerve gas" works. Any yes indeed, they were extremely effective. When my parents moved to the suburbs they sprayed our entire backyard with Chlordane. My dad sprayed Chlordane into a back wall of the house to kill a nest of carpenter ants. All I remember was the ants dropping dead as soon as they got a whiff of the stuff. He also sprayed it on the base of a tree that was being attacked by ants. Very effective and potent stuff. In fact back in the late 1950's and 1960's many new homes being built Chlordane was poured into the ground before that laid down the foundation. This was a measure to reduce the liklihood of termites.

Here in New York State they started tightening up on the use of Chlordane some time during the 1980's. The last time my dad bought a can of Chlordane he was required to sign for it and it came with a state issued document declaring where and how it can be used and where and when it was prohibited. As you mentioned a few years later the state (and apparently the entire country) banned its use altogether along with Isotox, Lindane, etc.

These days my folks wouldn't use Chlordane even if they had it. In fact these days they are very anti-pesticide use.

[ka4dpo]

Living in Texas for a combined 9.5 years and a few years in NC, I have had my fair share (and then some) of Fire Ant stings. After the pain goes away, the itching thusly commences. They serve absolutely no purpose and were brought here from Africa via the stowaway route.

You see them or their mounds, destroy them with absolute prejudice! Ortho has many products for taking care of these pesky demons. They have been known to overtake a grown human and adult livestock by overwhelming with sheer numbers via stinging them to death.

Strange how all of the insects that were brought here from Africa are dangerous and they seem to like Texas, maybe it's the climate. I remember they had a seminar at FT Hood one time telling you what to do and what not to do if you encountered Africanized bees. They make fire ants look like amateurs and they used to be abundant around Bexar County. Talk about dangerous, a killer bee hive can kill 10 or 15 people in less than a minute. As for the fire ants, I used Diazenon almost full strength so I didn't have any pests either. Once in a while a mole cricket would pop out of the lawn and do a backflip but that was the end of them...

[K0RGR]

We have enough trouble with stingers around here without the Africanized bees.

A coworker of my wife's climbed up on his trailer to clean his air conditioner, and was nearly stung to death by wasps. The exterminator said it was the only time he ever saw two species of the varmits build nests in the same place. They were probably hostile before the guy got in the middle of it.

Another fellow found a wild beehive by accident and was nearly stung to death near here.

This is the time of year when the bees become heat-seeking, and apparently I must be very colorful in infrared, because they come from all over to check me out. It was worse in Iowa than it is here, thanks to our even longer winter, but I get tired of swatting at stinging critters.

[n2ize]

Just for the record my fire ant bites have long cleared up. No more pain or itching skin. Just 2 tiny fading red bumps where the actual bites occurred.

[KG4NEL]

Strange how all of the insects that were brought here from Africa are dangerous and they seem to like Texas, maybe it's the climate. I remember they had a seminar at FT Hood one time telling you what to do and what not to do if you encountered Africanized bees.

The little flying assholes around here used to hover over a road I ran on, and would follow me for damn near a half mile before giving up...

[n2ize]

You don't want to tangle with a nest full of these critters, or even one of them for that matter.

asian_giant_hornet4.jpg

Moar here

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet

[WØTKX]

Somebody stuck a pin thru its thorax.