Still hating those fire ants!

sprailroad

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As a added note, I feel the same about "yellow jackets" as I do about fire ants. Much like before, parked in a side track, waiting for trains, I of course was tromping around in the woods looking for whatever, I must have stepped on a nest, (rotted log) twice, and out they came. Chased me down along an access road near the tracks just like you would see in a cartoon, arms waving around while running etc, and they really nailed me big time, MUCH to the amusement of the fella's up on the track. Compassion was not a strong point among large track gangs. I tell ya, things out there that can fly, crawl, and slither.
 

chub

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In Australia we call them inch ants. Had alot of beers (about 20 years ago) was napping in the back of our van out prospecting in the middle of nowhere....got out to squeeze a kidney....ended up standing in a nest.... legs blue and red from the knee down....

Not sure if they are the same as the welt didnt look like the pic, but crazy painful.Just used petrol on the nest, no flame (fire ban season). Live and learn...

Where I live now its snakes and scorpions, but hey it ads to the fun.

Chub
 

Vhoov

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I was just cursing them out last week...dug in to a small colony on a good signal and didn't know until my fingers were burning...they must have just been starting out.
 

Metal Headz

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It isnt so bad in PA. Poison ivy is the biggest annoyance. I wear pants and tuck my pant legs into socks, treated with permethrin I dont see many critters on me. I break spider webs with my face all the time. Haha get well soon!
 

Nitric

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I just learned what Fire ants were this summer! :laughing7: My wife was into them before.

Originally from Ohio, we didn't have many that I knew of. Just the black carpenter ants everywhere.

I was clearing along a road way(dirt path) in AL. in shorts. ....... And I thought.....Hmmmmm...Feels like someone is sticking hot matches to my legs. I look down and these bright red ants are on my legs!!! I brushed them off and kept going. I got into them 3 times before I realized that they were coming from the ground and not the brush I was clearing.:laughing7: Yes! Yes! I'm a little slow at times! :laughing7:

I must not be allergic to them, the burning went away quick, and the red marks only lasted a few hours.

I got into seed ticks AGAIN, on that trip in the woods too. I really hate those things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

AlienLifeForm

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I just learned what Fire ants were this summer! :laughing7: My wife was into them before.

Originally from Ohio, we didn't have many that I knew of. Just the black carpenter ants everywhere.

I was clearing along a road way(dirt path) in AL. in shorts. ....... And I thought.....Hmmmmm...Feels like someone is sticking hot matches to my legs. I look down and these bright red ants are on my legs!!! I brushed them off and kept going. I got into them 3 times before I realized that they were coming from the ground and not the brush I was clearing.:laughing7: Yes! Yes! I'm a little slow at times! :laughing7:

I must not be allergic to them, the burning went away quick, and the red marks only lasted a few hours.

I got into seed ticks AGAIN, on that trip in the woods too. I really hate those things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It doesn't sound like you ran into fireants to me. Red marks will last weeks and usually scar - at least in my experience.
 

Nitric

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It doesn't sound like you ran into fireants to me. Red marks will last weeks and usually scar - at least in my experience.

No clue what they were. I know they were about the size of the black carpenter ants(we had in Ohio), but were a red orange color. And burned when they bit. Almost like when were kids and stuck the match head on each others legs or arms right when you blow it out.

It left a red mark, but didn't stay long, maybe that afternoon or next day, and the burning stopped within minutes. This was in N. central AL.

Now, she got bit on her neck and the marks are still there. The doctor said it was shingles, but they weren't sure. I say it was fire ants from when I put stuff where we sleep when we left camp. I think one or two were in there and bit her in her sleep. That was about 3 weeks ago and the marks are still there.
 

AlienLifeForm

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No clue what they were. I know they were about the size of the black carpenter ants(we had in Ohio), but were a red orange color. And burned when they bit. Almost like when were kids and stuck the match head on each others legs or arms right when you blow it out.

It left a red mark, but didn't stay long, maybe that afternoon or next day, and the burning stopped within minutes. This was in N. central AL.

Now, she got bit on her neck and the marks are still there. The doctor said it was shingles, but they weren't sure. I say it was fire ants from when I put stuff where we sleep when we left camp. I think one or two were in there and bit her in her sleep. That was about 3 weeks ago and the marks are still there.

That is interesting, could be fireants and your body just reacts differently to them. I wish my bites would go away the next day!
 

Nitric

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That is interesting, could be fireants and your body just reacts differently to them. I wish my bites would go away the next day!

I was going to try to look them up....I just assumed they were fire ants. Maybe they are just ants. There were a couple that I pulled off as soon as I felt them that were kind of latched on. So maybe they were just biting ants? Who knows! I find so many bugs and things camping in that woods that I have no clue what they are.

I got stung by a slug looking catepiller with barbs or whatever sticking out of it. It left a welt about an inch and a half long and hurt like hell! :laughing7: I told people about it and they just say....I never heard of such a thing. I wish I would have taken a pic of it. but at the time I was just wanting nothing to do with it and was a little nervous about if I was going to get sick or what. Luckily I didn't and I've never seen another one. I just happened to lay my arm right on it.
 

pepperj

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There's different stores that sell it, but I have found the best bargain is from the feed store supply. In Ontario food grade is $35 for a 50 lb bag, and at the pet store it will run $25 for a 5ib container.
Simple solution to the ant problem, totally natural just put in on the nest, and around the area of the nest. Ants and all crawly creatures get the silica in they joints of the body where it's soft, and the bleed out so to speak. They bring it back into the nest and others get it on them from cleaning it off and the cycle continues.
Just be very careful of dust that so where a mask, it will cause problems for the lungs as it is a irritant.
Also just remember that it will take out good insects as well. 2 lbs will do 1 acre of property. Has to be reapplied if it rains.

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

pepperj

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It isnt so bad in PA. Poison ivy is the biggest annoyance. I wear pants and tuck my pant legs into socks, treated with permethrin I dont see many critters on me. I break spider webs with my face all the time. Haha get well soon!

Natural solution to the poison ivy, it usually grows in the same area. Great for bites from the blood sucking insects.

https://altnature.com/jewelweed.htm
 

Tpmetal

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At this moment, I have hundreds of little pus pockets with bright red around them, both calves, ankles and feet. The wife freaked out this morning when she saw them but I will survive. around the house, I use a little gasoline to slow them down. When I was a kid, my uncle ran up to a hole in the ground and poured gas into it and then lit it with a match. The hole was a ground nest of yellow jackets that had earlier nailed both of us while putting up fence. no more problem with them. fire ants are just bad news but especially bad for some people. there are a lot of little critters out there that can ruin your day or even your life and we have to be conscious of them so be safe out there!:BangHead:

i remember as a kid my dad using a quarter stick of dynamite on a yellow jack nest.... literally every single one was dead instantly. really hate those little buggers.
 

ChampFerguson/TN

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.....Now, she got bit on her neck and the marks are still there. The doctor said it was shingles, but they weren't sure.....

If I had a Dr that couldn't tell shingles from a fire ant bite, I'd be looking for a new Dr.
 

Kuznec

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What prevents to take along a bottle filled with self-made napalm? Engine oil mixed with kerosene - and the anthill will glow until there is no funnel left.
 

AlienLifeForm

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Spot treated 11 nests today. I am looking into diatomaceous earth now, I am tired of these things.
 

Nitric

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If I had a Dr that couldn't tell shingles from a fire ant bite, I'd be looking for a new Dr.

They are bad around here.....They said...Maybe Shingles, but just in case we will give you meds for tick bite.

I say fire ant!

I have a friend that's a Dr. in a different state. He laughed when i told him.
 

Nitric

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What prevents to take along a bottle filled with self-made napalm? Engine oil mixed with kerosene - and the anthill will glow until there is no funnel left.

I wonder how Thermite would do! :laughing7:
 

ChampFerguson/TN

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They are bad around here.....They said...Maybe Shingles, but just in case we will give you meds for tick bite.

I say fire ant!

I have a friend that's a Dr. in a different state. He laughed when i told him.


Not to get off topic here, but this is important. PSA:
If you are 50+, please get the shingles shot. I've seen someone get it Bad and I wouldn't wish that on the dumbest snowflake. (well maybe I would wish it some rinos if truth be told). Seriously, you don't want shingles.
 

OP
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dirtlooter

dirtlooter

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personally, I don't see how anyone could confuse fire ant bites with shingles or a tick bite. very seldom do you end up with just one single bite and you will know exactly where that or those spots are, especially the next day. The shingle shots are very good if you can take them but some people with some forms of arthritis can't because of their immune system (kind of sucks but it is what it is)
 

mnixon

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Was playing Frisbee golf here in Austin when I first moved here .. One of my shots landed me in a creek ... I could have gone the "long" way around and just fished the disk out with a short stick but I was sure I could reach it from the side we were playing from .... I laid down on the ground and stretched as far as I could and almost had it when a I felt something in my arm pit .... durn fire ants were in the side of the creek bed ..yup ... ants in the arm pits .. o wait .. wasn't that a game from years gone by ?? oo no ... that old game was ant's in the pants ... I thought I was lucky to have ant in the pits over ant's in the pants ..
 

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