TGIF! So long stupid work week. May this be the last work week of the year for all of you. Not for me unfortunately, but I know what I did. Anyway let’s have a little talk about fire ants.

Survival – Personal Edition

Also known as red ants, fire ants are called this because that’s the pain sensation when they attack. Let’s get to the tips for handling such an attack.

• Brush the ants off using your hand. You can’t shake them off or spray them off. In fact, this will just make them more mad and that’s not what we’re going for here. A fire ant attacks by biting and holding with their mandible, then sting with their abdomen, repeatedly. The sting delivers the venom that causes that burning sensation. So brushing them off is the only way to break their hold on your skin. Oh, if you have a spare piece of cloth, or gloves, use those to brush them off.
• Leave the area. The longer you stick around the more ants are going to attack you. A nest can easily have hundreds of ants that can be on you in seconds. Attacks begin because you disturbed their nest and their reaction is to climb anything nearby vertically and start stinging. So getting away will reduce the number attacking you. Also, keep brushing them off as you move.
• Once to safety, it’s time to remove your clothing. Some of those suckers can still be clinging in a fold somewhere. So start with your shoes, stocks, and pants. If they got any higher than that, take that off too. Inspect the clothing for more of them and brush them off if found. Ideally, you’ll have a change of clothes so you can launder the removed clothing before wearing again.
• Now the bad news. You have been bit and injected with their venom. Once the pain subsides, the bitten areas will swell into bumps and become itchy. Do not scratch them! Treat the area topically with aloe vera. Some use a half bleach and half water solution to reduce itchiness. Antihistamines and OTC pain killers can also be taken to reduce discomfort. Over the next few days those bumps will turn white and fill with fluid into what’s called a pustule. Don’t let these break as that can lead to scarring and infections. Keep up with the topical treatments on the pustules. They will go away after a few days on their own. If one does break, treat with soap and water and antibacterial ointments immediately.
• That should be it. However, in some sensitive people, an allergy to the venom may form. Serious complications, including death, can result. Especially watch for swelling or chest pain. In the event of an allergic reaction a steroid treatment will be needed to deal with the reactions.

And there you go. You now have a tale to tell about your encounter with vile red ants that you lived to talk about.

Survival – Bonus Edition

Getting swallowed by a Hippo? Make sure to have a friend and some stones nearby. Seems effective.

Click here to get to commenting

Survival – Species Edition

Time to put the sexy in Friday!

‘

Enjoy the weekend, folks! Alright, now let’s get to what’s most important: Commenting and drinking!