These little bastards are no joke.
I kill ‘em on sight.
“How do you find out you have an allergy to fire ants?”
It’s not to figure it out.
She probably got bit by one fire ant sometime in the past and had a severe allergic reaction. That’s how most people learn they have an allergic reaction.
My nephew had a similar problem with bee stings and had to keep an epipen on him at all times. The allergy almost kept him out of the Marine Corps, but he made it in.
I’m surprised she didn’t keep her medicine on her at all times. Maybe she thought “I’m just going out for a couple minutes — I’ll be ok.”
It’s astonishing she was gone before she could get to her medicine.
Nasty little buggers.
If one bites you, you’ll know. We lives in Georgia, and found out the hard way. My wife had to get shots and was always carrying an epipen in Georgia. The environment there did NOT agree with her!
After living for 3 years in Texas I got a job in upstate NY and bought a house. Shortly after that my 2 year old daughter was in the yard and started screaming hysterically because she saw some ants crawling on her foot. She thought they were fire ants.
https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/orange-guard-fire-ant-control/fire-ants
Biodegradable Fire Ant Control
Orange Guard Fire Ant Control will eradicate fire ants without risking the health of your family, pets or the environment. It is EPA registered, OMRI listed and on the FDA GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list. This water based contact insecticide and repellent can be applied full strength or diluted 1:3 for increased coverage.
Mode of Action: It works by dissolving the waxy coating on the ant's (or other pest's) exoskeleton, which clogs the spiracles (how they breathe), and they suffocate. The active ingredient, d-limonene, is a monoterpene used by plants to keep pests away.
This Product Controls These Pests or Diseases: Ants (Mult), Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta)
Some the hard way, unfortunately.
usually by getting bit once and having an excessive reaction.
I thought I was rid of the little bastards when we left Houston and moved back to Oklahoma but they have arrive here this year. I constantly had welts on my ankles from yard work and them biting me.
They love electrical equipment for some reason and will fill outdoor breaker and switch boxes.
The Spectracide wiped them out in the barnyard and yard so far this year. There will be more of course.
Compress the fire ant bites with ammonia liquid. The bites are shallow enough that if treated promptly, the reaction is milk or only 10%. (Your mileage may very). Best treatment I have found.
This also works for scorpions, yellow jackets and wasps, etc. These later stings bites are more persistent because the venom is injected deeper into the skin. Burt if only one or two of these deeper stings, keep the compress wetted and with a much longer duration
This treatment can make a high difference in stopping the creation of fire ant pustules and subsequent likely infections. (From constant scratching).
FYI.
Cheers
One time, I unknowingly laid down in a fire ant bed. I soon knew about it.
I was wearing short pants. Laid down on a seawall to retrieve a fishing lure I saw.
Not long after laying down, I sensed something was wrong. I jumped up, looked down and saw fire ants all over my legs. Probably had 100 of them on me.
Is it feasible to pour some COVID vaxx on them? They might die suddenly of blood clots or heart attacks.
Youtube has videos of folks using molten aluminum to destroy fire ant and yellow-jacket nests.