Ever stared death in the face?

I have.

I actually have stared at multiple "deaths" multiple times a day.  They're tiny, red, and they've got an evil stinger.

Yes, I'm talking about fire ants.  Red imported Fire Ants, Solenopsis invicta to be exact.

These little guys (uh girls) originated from Argentina.  They made their way to Texas and other southern states via the port of Mobile, Alabama.  If only they had stayed in Argentina, I would have been a much safer, much happier person. =P

Most ant queens lay between 800 and 1,500 eggs in a DAY!  A day!  That is a huge amount of ants.  And get this, fire ants usually have more than one queen.  Wow!  Just when you thought this couldn't get any worse, the ant eggs hatch within two weeks of being laid and each ant lives for about a month.  So very scary.

I had to beg and plead my mom not to make me wear thick socks and hiking boots everytime I went to play Ninja in the yard with my little sister.

My mom wouldn't be this protective if I weren't deathly allergic to their stings.  Yes, my life can get harder. =P  If enough of their acidic venom gets injected into my body I'm going to have a terrible allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.  Google it. =P  The main thing is, I can die from a few stings. O_O

This time of year is always the worst.  There are fire ants EVERYWHERE in Texas and most southern states.  That makes my life easier.  I can hardly walk to the garage without seeing a giant fire ant hill.  They build large ant hills in shaded spots and sunny spots.  That makes any spot in your yard a prime place to build a deadly ant hill.  Living either in the middle of your grass, or right up next to your home.  That sure makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

These ant stings are much worse than most, they nip you twice.  Once to grab on with their mandibles, the second time to inject their stinger into your flesh.

Their venom is a mixture of acid.  I'm not going to go into all the details or you would probably run away from this place from sheer horror at how nerdy I can be. =P  I will tell you that it burns like fire.  Hence the name "Fire Ant".

Some properties of their venom is actually antibiotic, which is quiet odd.  Scientists are just starting to experiment with it to see if it has any healing properties.  -sigh- I'll have to stay far away from them. XD

Even if you aren't allergic to the stings, being bitten isn't pleasant.  Bits can leads to swelling, dizziness, vomiting, infection, and in my case death. O_O

These little bugs are pretty vicious as individuals, try thinking of a couple dozen of their hills laying about.  Just ready for an unsuspecting shoe to step on them.  That's hundreds of thousands of fiery ants ready to eat you alive.  That is Texas in this crazy change of season.

My announcement.  I have a fire ant jar!!!  After that load of information on how dangerous fire ants are, I tell you that I'm keeping them in a nice big jar right outside my house. ^_^  Hehehe.

Don't worry about me, I've got Epi-pens, which are injections that prevent anaphylaxis.  They don't prevent it forever though, that's why I have to get to a hospital as soon as possible.  Then they have to monitor me for even more time.  You can see why I'm so careful.

After that (hopefully) informative and interesting blog post I hope you have a wonderful time staying away from fire ants!  If you don't live in any of the states that have fire ants then I hope you just had a fun time listening to me ramble. =D

Until next time!

The Wondering Student,

Izzy Ricochet