I'll sure give it a try. I got bitten about two weeks ago, and still have the red marks on my foot. How can anything so darn small, sting so badly????? :(

We like to have an ammonia stick (insect stick) handy. Looks like a pencil but has a small dauber on the end. It also takes care of the sting.
Handy things to have. I don't do well with ant bites. I'll have a large knot (2-4") when bit so these little sticks really reduce the aggravation a bite will bring. Not to mention I don't have to deal with it for a week, as they really pack some punch if untreated.

I find if I get to rubbing alcohol quickly I can avoid the prolonged effect of those miserable little things!

I second the rubbing alcohol. I cannot scratch ant bites at all. If I do, I get an infection and have actually lost toenails because of this. So when in the yard I keep a small plastic spray bottle of alcohol nearby. I may have to spray it 3 times over the first 10 minutes, but after that I'm home free.
Blooming Annie, you can't be too far from me. I live almost in the middle of GooseCreek, Moncks Corner, and S'ville.
Boo
Boo

look twice
step once

My tried and true remedy is granulated meat tenderizer. I learned to carry a bottle of it around with me at all times! When applied within a few minutes of fire ant stings, mosquito bites, or spider bites it dissolves the enzymes of the poisons. I have also heard that it does the same thing for bee and wasp stings, but I can't testify to that.

Works like a charm.

I remember my Mom putting snuff mixed with water on bee or wasp stings. That was some nasty stuff. Fortunately, I was never stung. But I remember a neighbor of ours when I was little, stripped down to her bra, came running up to and pounding on our door, crying because she'd been stung. That was all it took to scare me into avoiding them at all costs.
Boo

When I first moved to South Georgia, they warned me to watch for snakes. I was so busy looking for snakes, I stood in fire ants.

Adding fire ants to my list of things for which to watch, I walked into a single strand electric fence, watching for moving creatures.

When I'm bitten by a fire ant, away from the house and better remedies, I put a bit of saliva on the bite. I figure that enzymes in saliva will start to digest the fire ant toxin. It helps, but not as much as stronger neutralizers like ammonia. Someone told me that toothpaste would work; wasn't helpful for me.

Did you know that people can have allergic reactions to ant bites just like to bees? A friend's husband was bitten recently while she was at the grocery store. She came home to find him having a full-blown allergic reaction. She drove him to the emergency room where they took him in immediately and said he had gotten there just in time.
He had been bitten many times before in his 57 years and had never had a problem before.

A good thing to keep in mind.

I put hydrocortisone on them ASAP. But I recall my mom using Mrs. Stewarts Blueing on ant bites.

Hmmm....

Carolyn the Gardninlady
James Island

how can these ant bites go away for a day or two, and then start itching and get the blister on them all over again days later? Is it better to pop the blisters or leave them alone?

My son was stung over a hundred times on his hand, he was about 3 years old. When I called a registered nurse in our family, she said to take yellow mustard and coat his hand in it. We did and he calmed right down and never complained of them. The trick is to do it immediately after the bite. His scars are barely visible now. Thank God he was not allergic to them, my granddad was very allergic. Hope this can help somebody, but not wishing any ant bites on anyone. They hurt!!! Leslie

I am suffering from 5 ant bites right now and in searching the web for help I came upon this forum. My problem is I never feel the actual bite itself. Its only after 24 hours that the itching starts and lasts for 5 or 6 days. I think they are from the little bitty ones we call "sugar ants" but am not sure since I never see one sting me. Since I can't treat the bite at the time I am bitten, does anyone have any good remedies to relieve the constant itching. Also does anyone have a preventative plan. I have tried Avon's Skin-so-soft but am not sure it really works since I have been bitten when using it. Any help would be appreciated.

the only thing that really works is some anihistamine, like 1/2 sinutab - right away. topical antihistamine doesn't work for me. in addition i used to use ice too, but the last time the only thing i had was a cloth with hot water and it seemed to help better then the ice.
this after my experience with the puss caterpillar, after the doctor gave me 2 shots he said to switch from ice to hot pack because it disburses the bad stuff.
look up the effects of the puss caterpillar, many people are not familiar with it, lucky them, and be AWARE, by far worse then a dog bite (i've had that too).

All of you should check out you gardens and yards and GET RID OF THE FIRE ANTS! Call a pro if the ant killers don't work. If fire ants are around you will eventually get bitten! I have a big yard and regular treatments have kept these killers out or minimized. Also don't walk around barefooted! This is Florida! Anything could be in the grass.

I Just got bit by a queen ant that was huuuuuuge!!! Am i going to die? SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME AND LET ME KNOW IF IM GOING TO LIVE!!!ouch

Hi Annie! Hope all's well.

I use hydrocortisone as well asap, the bites never blister and itch. That's the LAST thing I need is fire ant bites, lol!

I smell troll bait...

Perhaps Big Luda thinks he/she is clever. yawn!
anyhoo~~

Every time I work in garden I'm attacked by something I cant ID. I think its an ant or a spider, whatever it is is supersmall. The resulting welts on my skin indicate multiple bites in a trail as it moves. Usually under the edge of garment. Initially the bite site burns and then 12-24 hrs later a big hive like welt forms and itches and burns for 36 hours. Robs me of sleep for 2 nights. I think I finally observed one ant-like insect swimming in my sweat. It was pale 1/32" long. I have sprayed with Malathion 50 Plus with no effect. Searched all the Florida bugs websites without results. What is it??? It is not a fire ant. I get bitten by them frequently and have only instant short lived discomfort.

YOu can have an anaphylactic reactionat any time....each time you're bitten, it changes your body's ability to deal with them...they're nasty, and not native to the US, they came on agricultural equipment in the 1930's, and seem unstoppable...CLemson UNiv is releasing sdmall parasitic wasps that may dent their population, as they have no natural enemies....and they have decimated certain growd nesting birds like quail....everytime I get bitten, I'm terrified I'll be allergic...and swear I'm moving to a place where there aren't any of these things!

I am extremely allergic to fire ant bites and canÂt seem to avoid getting bitten at least half a dozen times each summer. However I have a great ant bite remedy to share if anyone is interested. It was not originally for ant bites, but I find it works well. I always carry a jar of the "green stuff" (as we call it) when I go outdoors.

I put mine in small jars so that I can pop one into a pocket or purse when I go outdoors. You can get the ingredients in any natural food store. Here is the recipe:

Herbal Skin Salve  For all skin irritations

2 cups olive oil
1 oz. dry comfrey root
1 oz. dry thyme
1 oz. dry calendula
1200 IU Vitamin E
3 oz. beeswax

Heat oil in stainless steel or glass pot over medium heat. Add comfrey root and cook 3 minutes. Lower heat, add thyme; cook 1 minute more. Add calendula and cook 1 minute more. Strain through cheesecloth and squeeze out excess oil. Return to pot and add beeswax, stirring until the was is melted. Add vitamin E. Pour into small jars and store in a cool place. Will keep for one year or more.

This skin salve works very well for burns, including sunburn, and other skin irritations, but should not be used on poison ivy or other poison weed irritations. (A GREAT remedy for poison weed irritations is  believe it or not  roll on deodorant.)

A note of caution. This is a strong tissue healer but it has no antiseptic properties. For this reason, do not use on deep cuts. Discontinue if redness or infection appears.

I have been using this remedy for years and everyone I have shared it with has been very pleased with it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Earth Right

Yes it works on bee and wasp stings as long has meat tenderizer has no MSG in it

My granddaddy used to keep a huge pickle jar of vinegar and chewing tobacco on his screened in porch. He used it on all type of bites and stings. It smelled to high heaven, but it really worked. I have considered making some since I have 3 boys who love the outdoors. Hmmmm.... better remember to save the pickle jar this time.

I was bitten by a small fire ant on the tip of a finger and while it stung initially, I ignored it. Now 6 hours later, I have lost a lot of mobility in my right arm and the upper arm, especially near the shoulder joint is swollen and rather painful. It appears from the discussion above, that it is too late to apply something to the bite area. Additionally, the bite area does not appear to be swollen. However, I would like to eliminate the pain in the upper arm and restore mobility. Would appreciate any advice. My symptons may be an allergic reaction to the ant's toxin. Thank you.

Here is a link that might be useful: I village/ Garden Web

Having lived in South Florida and being intimately close to fire ants, I have found that this is the simplest remedy for their or other ant bites....GARLIC OIL. If you put the garlic oil on the bite immediately after being bitten, it won't blister and simply go away. If you don't have garlic ooil handy, go to the kitchen and put 6 cloves of garlic in the food processor. Turn it on and emulsify the garlic, add oil like you would be making a salad dressing. Slather this mix onto the bites and it will alleviate the itching and pain immediately. You'll smell like an antipasto but it'll be worth it.

Meat tenderizer really works as long as it is the kind with the enzyme papain in it. Some kinds do not. I learned about it years ago as a scuba diver. It breaks down the protein in toxins and worked for us on fire coral stings. I used it on my daughter once for a man o war sting and it vanished within minutes. I have also used it for bee stings and caterpillar stings. Just make a paste and slather it on.

When making a paste with meat tenderizer, just add water to it?

All of the other remedies seem interesting. I'll have to try them soon. Had my first encounter with fire ants last night. NO fun! Part of my foot is still swollen.

*****Does anyone know if it's bad to open up the white pustules once they form?*****

I use a paste of baking soda and water, which I keep in the fridge. Also, I took 10 mg of Prednisone that I had leftover from sinusitis and poison ivy; that seemed to reduce the swelling and aching in the muscle and around the joint. (I was stung four times behind the knee.) As for opening the pustules, I try not to so as to avoid infection; however, I usually scratch so hard they pop anyway. I look forward to trying some of the remedies above to see if they work better than mine.

Lemon juice (I use the plastic containers filled with organic lemon juice) applied will neutralize the poisons. The sooner the better, of course. After that, I use aloe vera gel (the kind that needs to be in the fridge.) Hot foot baths will also pull the toxins out. (I use a foot spa machine before bed and add 10 drops of these essential oils: peppermint, tea tree & lavender. Hope this info helps someone! :)

Ants came to my house and I have couple bites on my nody can they really bite people and animals?

After having been bit by a fire ant on my foot, I cleaned it and alternated between applying hydro-cortisone and topical antibiotic. It still itched constantly and I was very careful to not pop the blister because all these sites say that. But the next week the itching continued and started to spread and the bite had healed over. When my hands started itching, too, I made a doctor's appt. My doctor said that the topical antibiotic pushed the venom into my blood stream and spread it throughout my body. He prescribed me taking benedryl orally for the next five days to get rid of it. After that I have had to pop the blisters and clean them before putting on the antibiotic. They stay red and look infected for a few days, but that's really the inflammation from the venom that went into the surrounding tissue.

I also have a theory that once you've been bitten during the season, you are marked as the enemy. They seem to hunt you down for revenge, I found this online because I managed to get bit while moving brush to mow the lawn and for the rest of the afternoon every time I stepped off the mower they seemed to be finding me. I have more then twenty bites and they (~20) are bothering me more 48 hours after the initial biting. The itching has started full force and I was trying to avoid the benedryl capsules because I get sleepy and wanted to try some home remedies. I have already done the washing, spa treatment, hydrogen peroxide, peppermint oil immediately, and hydro cortisone. It worked well for the last two days, I guess the initial effects wore off and the blisters are all up this morning, too.

Revenge? Really, Barbara? :-) They're pretty mean, but not capable of that. I hope, lol.

I suggest that you use the old tried and true Amdro Fire Ant Killer bait to reduce the population in your yard. Amdro works like a charm when used conservatively and according to label direction.

You don't need very much to rid your yard of the ants, and the bait is carried down deep into the chambers of the nest where it's fed to the larvae in the nurseries, the queens, and shared by the workers. In a couple of days, no more ants, as long as you've followed directions.

If you haven't tried the Adolph's meat tenderizer treatment immediately after a sting, I urge you to do so. The active ingredient, papain, is very effective at neutralizing the proteins in the ant (and other insect) venom.

Use the papain without all of the other treatments, all of which would sure trigger a reaction on my sensitive skin!

Fire ants, by the way, use a stinger to deliver the venom, using their jaws only to grab on and give them some leverage.

Terrible little varmints.