Just as their name sounds dangerous, are these fire ants threatening human beings? The short answer is yes. Apart from creating havoc and nuisance inside the house, fire ants pose a health risk to people and pets. The house invading ants are annoying, especially when they are foraging food sources for their survival.
Homeowners should constantly check the fire ants’ activity and locate their nest to remove them from inside or outside your house.
Before getting into the dangers of fire ants, we must know how to identify fire ants:
Identification of fire ants:
Fire ants have strong copper heads with a reddish-brown and black color body. These tiny ant species use strong mandibles to sting the victims. They use a stinger on the end of their abdomen and inject their venom into their victim. Fire ants are aggressive and swarm in large numbers. The bite of these ant species will cause a burning sensation.
The warm weather causes fire ants to become more active, and thus, people come in contact with the fire ants more during the summertime.
Apart from posing threats to humans and pets, let’s look at the other dangers caused by fire ants.
Home and electrical damage:
Have you ever encountered the damage caused by termites? If yes, then these fire ant species are not less in causing damage to your home just as termites. Termites are known for causing physical damage to the wooden structure over time. Similarly, fire ants are known to damage the electrical equipment inside your house.
Make sure to have a constant check inside the electrical appliances such as air conditioners and circuit breakers. These ant species can enter inside the electric circuits and chew the insulation wires, thereby damaging the entire electric equipment.
To prevent further damage, call the pest control experts to remove these nuisance pests.
Health risks:
Worry about the health risk danger caused by ant bites.
Every ant species are capable of biting. These pesky pests have mandibles and pinch the victim’s skin if they feel threatened.
Though the bites caused by fire ants are not dangerous, they can cause pain and burning sensation.
The fire ants inject venom with their stinger. Such venom can cause allergic reactions to some people and even to pets.
You may feel the pain, swelling, redness, and itchiness as the common symptoms of fire ant bites.
Nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and dizziness may also occur if you have an allergic reaction to the venom.
It is imperative to prevent the fire ants from avoiding these dangers.
Other Pests:
If the other insects find these ant species inside your home, they will get attracted and find the way to your house.
Many spiders are likely to consume ants if given an opportunity.
Bats are also attracted if you have an ants’ infestation.
Covering up:
Fire ants are not a pest species. We would never suggest removing them on your own. If you suspect anthills or mounds near your property, call the pest control experts to remove the ant infestation.
