What Happens After Fire Ant Bites, What Helps and When to Worry
A fire ant bite is really a bite and a sting. The ant grips the skin with its jaws and stings, and the burning bump turns into a white pustule within about a day. The pustules peak at about 72 hours and fade to faint scars within a month, and a pustule that is popped or scratched open can become infected. A small number of people react badly, and chest pain, trouble breathing or serious swelling after a sting needs emergency care. Pest Me Off’s technicians treat fire ant mounds in yards across McKinney and the rest of Collin County every spring and summer.
- A fire ant bites to grip the skin, then stings, and one ant can sting again and again.
- A raised white pustule forms at each sting within about 24 hours.
- The pustule is not infected, but it can become infected if it is broken open.
- Fire ant workers are small, about a sixteenth to a fifth of an inch long, and dark reddish brown.
- Chest pain, severe sweating, loss of breath, serious swelling or slurred speech after a sting means emergency care right away.
Do fire ants bite or sting?
Fire ants do both. Mississippi State University Extension explains that a fire ant grabs the skin with its jaws to anchor itself, then drives in its stinger. The bite does no lasting harm. The venom from the sting causes the burning pain and the pustule. Because the stinger is not barbed, one worker can sting over and over and survive.
A fire ant rarely attacks alone. The University of California page on the red imported fire ant says the workers quickly climb onto anything touching their mound and sting, and Mississippi State says stings usually happen when people step in, lie in or otherwise disturb a mound without seeing it.
Why do fire ant bites blister?
Fire ant bites blister after the venom of the sting goes in, and the blister is not a sign of germs. Within about 24 hours a raised white pustule forms at each sting, and Mississippi State University Extension says that despite how it looks, the pustule is not infected.
The CDC describes red bumps that turn into white, fluid-filled pustules within 1 to 2 days. In the Mississippi State photo sequence they peaked at 72 hours and were still there as open sores at 1 week.
The University of California says the symptoms start as burning and itching, followed by the white pustule.
What a fire ant sting looks like, hour by hour
Mississippi State University Extension photographed a finger after a fire ant sting at set times. This is what each stage looked like.
| Time after the sting | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| 30 minutes | A slight swollen bump at each sting, surrounded by redness |
| 1 hour | The bumps stay, and the redness around them deepens |
| 24 hours | A pustule at each sting, still ringed by deep red |
| 72 hours | The pustules at their peak, with a deep red ring |
| 1 week | The pustules have broken down into small open sores, and the red ring is still there |
| 1 month | Only faint scars where the stings were |
In the photo sequence the pustules peaked on the third day, not the first.
The full photo sequence is on Mississippi State University Extension’s page on the fire ant sting, which is worth a look before deciding whether a bump is a fire ant sting or something else.
Should you pop fire ant bites?
Do not pop fire ant bites. The white pustule is not infected to begin with, but Mississippi State University Extension says a sting can become infected, especially if it is broken open by scratching. The University of California says the pustules can become infected if not kept clean and may leave permanent scars.
Popping one turns a sterile bump into an open sore.
Texas A&M’s fire ant project gives the same warning, that the stings are easily infected and may leave permanent scars. Mississippi State adds that the risk of problems is greater for people with diabetes or a weakened immune system.
How long do fire ant bites last?
Fire ant bites hurt and itch for days, and the pustule itself lasts longer. In Mississippi State University Extension’s photo sequence the pustules peaked at 72 hours, had broken down into small open sores by 1 week, and left only faint scars after a month. The University of California says the white pustule takes weeks to disappear.
A pustule that is scratched open can also become infected.
One sting is a small thing. Mississippi State notes that an encounter usually involves more than one ant, and every year people are stung by dozens or even hundreds at once, which multiplies the pain and irritation. Even then, people usually recover with no lasting ill effects.
What helps fire ant bites?
Start by getting the ants off. The CDC says to rub them off briskly, because fire ants hold on to the skin with their jaws. After that, the CDC says antihistamines may help, following the directions on the package. Texas A&M’s fire ant project suggests an insect bite remedy with an ingredient that deadens pain and protects against infection.
Then leave the pustules whole and keep them clean.
- Move away from the mound first, so more ants do not climb on.
- Rub the ants off briskly, because they hold on with their jaws.
- Use an antihistamine or an insect bite remedy, following the package directions.
- Keep the stings clean, and do not scratch or pop the pustules.
- Watch for the emergency signs in the next section, and get emergency care at once if any appear.
Are fire ant bites dangerous?
Fire ant bites are not dangerous for most people, but they can be for a few. Mississippi State University Extension says a very small percent of people are allergic to fire ant venom, and in the worst cases even a few stings can cause anaphylaxis.
The CDC says to get to an emergency medical facility immediately for severe chest pain, nausea, severe sweating, loss of breath, serious swelling or slurred speech.
Sheer numbers are the other danger. Mississippi State says stings become truly threatening when they run into the hundreds or thousands, which usually happens to people who cannot move away easily because of age, an accident or illness. The Texas A&M fire ant project’s medical page advises anyone who has reacted badly before to see an allergist, and the University of California calls the sting a serious concern for pets as well as people.
Why are fire ants in the house?
Fire ants live outdoors in the soil and rarely come inside, according to Mississippi State University Extension. When they do, it is for one of two reasons. Workers wander in, find food such as pet food or crumbs, and lay a trail from the outdoor nest.
Or a whole colony moves in after a flood, a drought, landscaping or another disturbance, and those ants sting hard and in large numbers.
The second kind is the one to act on fast. Mississippi State says a displaced colony carries its young and bits of soil into the house and has to be controlled quickly. The University of California adds that fire ants sometimes skip building a mound and nest in the walls of buildings, under sidewalks and in outdoor utility boxes, which puts them right against the foundation.
How Pest Me Off handles fire ants
Pest Me Off’s fire ant control checks the whole yard, not just the mound you pointed to. We reach the queen with a bait, then treat a barrier around the edge so the yard stays clear. Our technicians find and treat fire ant mounds along curbs, in lawns and against foundations, including open mounds in McKinney lawns and the mounds along the curb in Plano yards. Our fire ant library page explains where they show up and why. Call us to have the whole yard checked.
Our article on fire ant treatment in McKinney covers what works and how long it takes. Same-day service is available for McKinney and the surrounding cities when you call before noon, with no-contract options.
Fire ant mounds where your family walks and plays? Same-day pest control in McKinney and the surrounding cities when you call before noon.
We find and treat the fire ant mounds across the whole yard, along curbs, in the lawn and against the foundation, so the stings stop. Free estimate. No-contract options.
