If you live in the southern tier of the U.S., chances are you’ve seen (and had a personal experience with) your fair share of fire ants. Avoiding and prepping for their stings is something that most people don’t think of until it’s too late. Don’t let that be you!
First things first, make sure you know how to recognize fire ant mounds so you know what you’re dealing with. They really surprise you because it can just look like a small mound of dirt. Even though some nests appear as taller mounds, most are smaller and they can blend into the ground. So be alert and don’t be fooled. If you live in or are traveling to an area where fire ants are prevalent, follow these tips to make sure you’re ready in case you accidentally disturb a mound:
- Keep an extra pair of socks or shoes handy: Fire ants don’t attack one by one – they usually crawl up your legs or arms and sting in groups! Once they climb onto your body, it may prove difficult to get rid of all of them. So, keep an extra pair of clothing, socks or shoes in your car or work bag so you can strip down and change into fresh clothing.
- Tuck in your socks: Speaking of clothing, if you are going to an area with a heavy fire ant population, you may want to wear long pants tucked into your socks. This will reduce the ability of fire ants to reach your skin should they crawl up your legs.
- Carry Fire-Out with you! Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, fire ants can get the best of you. Once attacked, it’s important to quickly remove any fire ants from your body and apply Fire Out, a unique roll-on formula that provides medicine to fight the pain and itch for immediate relief across a large surface area of stings.
Check out some of our other fire ant tips for things you can to do beat the pain and itch.
