Harvester Ants Bites and Treatments

Identifying Harvester Ants Bite

Harvester ant stings can cause painful sores and possible allergic reactions in people and animals. Some species wield stingers with reverse barbs that actually break off in the sting site, like honeybee stingers. Unlike honeybees, harvester ants are capable of stinging multiple times. Similar to fire ants, the harvester ant’s two-part bite and sting process begins with the harvester ant attaching to its victim with its mandibles, then proceeding to repeatedly sting and inject venom into the region by pivoting around the site. The red harvester ant native to the arid Southwest is particularly poisonous. These are often confused with fire ants, but the red harvester ant is not related to the fire ant and, in fact, their sting is more venomous.

What to Do After a Harvester Ant Sting

In Florida, harvester ant stings come from the Florida harvester ant. It is much less aggressive than the fire ant and usually stings only when its nest is dug into or stepped on, or when an ant gets trapped against skin or under clothing. The sting is sharp and can stay sore for hours, often with redness and swelling around the site.

First aid:

• Move away from the nest and brush the ants off firmly. They grip with their jaws, so shaking alone may not dislodge them.
• Wash the area with soap and water.
• Use a cold pack wrapped in a cloth, about 10 minutes at a time, to reduce pain and swelling.
• Keep the area clean and avoid scratching.

Get emergency help for hives spreading beyond the sting, swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing, trouble breathing, dizziness or fainting. Anyone who has had a serious reaction to an insect sting before should talk with a doctor about an allergy plan.

See a doctor if there are many stings, especially on a small child, or if a sting site becomes hot, increasingly painful or starts to ooze over the following days.

Pets: dogs that dig at or lie on a nest can be stung on the face, paws or belly. Rinse the area, watch for facial swelling, drooling or weakness, and contact a vet if those appear. Marking nests helps kids and pets steer clear, and the harvester ant species page shows how to tell these ants from fire ants.