An invasive species of stinging ant is spreading across the United States with detections in at least 20 states.
Brachyponera chinensis, or the Asian needle ant, have been found mostly in the northeastern and southeastern U.S., but have also been detected in Wisconsin, Texas and Washington, according to the ant detection site antmaps.org.
Asian needle ants are shiny dark brown to black and are small, measuring about 0.2 inches in length, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Asian needle ants typically nest themselves in dark, hidden hardwood habitats, such as logs and landscape timbers, and form in small colonies.
Asian needle ants can sting when bothered, which can lead to symptoms such as skin reactions including hives and itching; low blood pressure; swollen tongue or throat; nausea, vomiting or diarrhea; dizziness or fainting; weak or rapid pulse; and wheezing or difficulty breathing, the USFS said.
More severe symptoms can include anaphylaxis — a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction — or psychological reactions, such as a feeling of impending doom, according to the agency.
To protect yourself, Dan Suiter, an Orkin distinguished professor of urban entomology in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, recommends wearing thick gloves when working outside. He also recommends removing nesting sites of hardwood, such as stacking firewood, off the ground and sawing any pieces of logs that fall on a property into small chunks.
To excise ants from the environment, Suiter said it requires bait from pest control agencies that can’t be bought over the counter.
“The whole idea of a bait is you give them a granule, they eat it, they share it with their nest mates and the queen [ant], and you get a slow decline of the colony,” he said.