Tiny Red Fire Ants Got Me!

[OnMyWay]

26 minutes ago, hk blues said:

I get bitten frequently by them - we have outdoor cats so plenty of food attracting them.  It does sting and itch but I find the sting goes after an hour or less and no ongoing reaction so I guess you do have an allergy issue.  I dab a little alcohol which may or may not do any good but doesn't do any harm so why not!

My wife said alcohol was the go to treatment when she was growing up on Bohol.  Vinegar sounds like a good option as well.

Actually it hasn't been too bad yet.  Had some sporadic sever itching yesterday and bumps forming.  Now today some blisters are forming.

Have you ever had a delicious itch where it feels great to itch it?  That is my next stage, historically.  I just have to itch it, and my other leg starts kicking like a dog.  

[hk blues]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

My wife said alcohol was the go to treatment when she was growing up on Bohol.  Vinegar sounds like a good option as well.

Actually it hasn't been too bad yet.  Had some sporadic sever itching yesterday and bumps forming.  Now today some blisters are forming.

Have you ever had a delicious itch where it feels great to itch it?  That is my next stage, historically.  I just have to itch it, and my other leg starts kicking like a dog.  

There are few feelings in life as satisfying as itching an itch! 

[Jack Peterson]

 My daughter sent me this,

*****

Does toothpaste help ant bites?

 

 

Toothpaste works for fire ants but not bee or wasp stings. If you are bitten by fire ants, apply any toothpaste to the bites and wash off after 10 minutes. No blisters or reaction will occur. The toothpaste neutralizes the poison completely.

[jimeve]

5 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

My wife said alcohol was the go to treatment when she was growing up on Bohol.  Vinegar sounds like a good option as well.

Actually it hasn't been too bad yet.  Had some sporadic sever itching yesterday and bumps forming.  Now today some blisters are forming.

Have you ever had a delicious itch where it feels great to itch it?  That is my next stage, historically.  I just have to itch it, and my other leg starts kicking like a dog.  

that looks infected, be careful. You should go see a doctor soon as possible.

[Gator]

29 minutes ago, jimeve said:

that looks infected, be careful. You should go see a doctor soon as possible.

Guess you’ve never been bitten by a fire ant? What is shown in the pic is part of the normal progression…..redness with white puss; almost like a pimple. 
 

@Jack Peterson. Never heard using toothpaste on a fire ant bite, will have to try it next time (hopefully not in the near future though, lol). 

[Guy F.]

Vinegar seems like the best bet to me. It certainly works on jellyfish stings. The bites from tiny red ants don't bother me much.

[OnMyWay]

6 hours ago, Guy F. said:

Vinegar seems like the best bet to me. It certainly works on jellyfish stings. The bites from tiny red ants don't bother me much.

Yes, it seems some people don't have a major reaction to them.  My wife is like you.  I always get the pimples.  That's why I said I am "allergic".

[jimeve]

15 hours ago, Gator said:

Guess you’ve never been bitten by a fire ant? What is shown in the pic is part of the normal progression…..redness with white puss; almost like a pimple. 
 

@Jack Peterson. Never heard using toothpaste on a fire ant bite, will have to try it next time (hopefully not in the near future though, lol). 

Been bit by fire ants lots of times over 20 years coming and living in the jungle. I must have a good immune system.

But if that;s the normal progression of a bite and you think it's normal than go tell other members it's okay.

I DON'T.

[Possum]

I was fishing along a canal in Florida, my diapered son was with me. He started squirming around, made some noises and I discovered he had sat down on a fire ant mound in the high grass. I picked him up and he was covered with so many I could not brush them off. Took his diaper off and dumped him in the ice chest. Left him a few minutes while I packed and planned the quickest route to a doctor. Just this side of hypothermia I took him out and there was not one bite mark on him,. We changed locations for fishing. Ice water apparently works if applied immediately as he showed NO sign of his encounter.

[hk blues]

46 minutes ago, Greglm said:

I was fishing along a canal in Florida, my diapered son was with me. He started squirming around, made some noises and I discovered he had sat down on a fire ant mound in the high grass. I picked him up and he was covered with so many I could not brush them off. Took his diaper off and dumped him in the ice chest. Left him a few minutes while I packed and planned the quickest route to a doctor. Just this side of hypothermia I took him out and there was not one bite mark on him,. We changed locations for fishing. Ice water apparently works if applied immediately as he showed NO sign of his encounter.

As an aside, we have numerous cats and even more numerous fire ants yet the ants don't seem to sting the cats, or if they do the cats don't react in any way.