"It's 'fatal' to be bitten once,
The night (the sting site) was red, swollen and hot,
The bulging bag is the size of a palm,
It's like having another knee on your leg......
At its worst, the scalp is numb,
The whole person was dizzy. ”
recently
Ms. Xia described it to reporters
How you feel after being stung by a red fire ant
Wounds after being stung by red fire ants. Source: Courtesy of the interviewee
Wuhan Academy of Landscape Sciences
Institute of Plant Protection
Senior engineer Dong Likun reminded
At present, red fire ants have entered the active stage
The woman was bitten several times
The wound was sore and itchy
Recently, Ms. Xia from Hubei Province wore slippers for a walk in the community, which is rich in greenery, she was accidentally stung on her right leg by red fire ants, and then went out several times, even if she wore socks and trousers, she was still bitten on her left leg, ankle and the back of her hand one after another.
Marks left after being stung by red fire ants. Source: Courtesy of the interviewee
"On the night of the bite, it was red, swollen and hot, bulging up the size of a palm, like another knee on the leg, and it itched so much that I couldn't sleep at all. Later, during that time, the process of blood scabs and scratching was repeated, and it was not only itchy but also painful. At the worst time, the scalp is numb and the whole person is dizzy. It's been a month and a half now, and it's not completely healed, and the bite area is still itchy. Ms. Xia told reporters.
Ms. Xia also said that she would use a hair dryer to blow hot air to relieve the itching of her skin, but the effect was very short-lived, and she could only boil it hard in the end. "Being bitten by a red fire ant once is 'fatal', not to mention that I have been bitten several times in a row, and now I still have marks everywhere on my body."
Red fire ants are aggressive
In severe cases, it can lead to shock and even death
Red fire ants, native to South America, are reddish-brown in color and resemble common ants in appearance, about 3 mm to 6 mm long. It has been described as "recognized as one of the 100 most dangerous invasive species in the world" and has been listed as a national agricultural, forestry and phytosanitary pest.
According to reports, red fire ants can threaten the health and even life safety of humans and animals. Red fire ants are very prone to high-density colonies in newly invaded areas, and once a person or livestock steps on an anthill, they will dump out of their nests and crawl on their bodies in swarms to bite.
Unlike ordinary ants, red fire ants are very aggressive. When a red fire ant stings, it will bite the skin with the upper jaw forceps, pierce and release venom with a tail needle, and the sting will have a burning pain, followed by redness, swelling and suppuration, and a few people will be severely allergic to the protein in the venom, and will have fever, temporary blindness, vomiting, shock and even death.
In October 2020, a young man in Nanning, Guangxi, kicked an arched ant nest out of curiosity and was bitten by red fire ants and caused systemic allergies.
Recently, when a man in Shixing County, Shaoguan, Guangdong Province went home to sweep the grave, he was accidentally bitten by red fire ants, and his limbs were weak and difficult to walk on the spot.
The man was in shock when he was taken to the hospital, but fortunately he was rescued in time and has now recovered and returned to work.
There are almost no natural predators on the mainland
Invaded 12 provinces
The biggest feature of red fire ants is their nests, which often appear in grass, farmland, wasteland, roadsides, parks and other places, and pile up the fine particles of soil chips dug from the ground into mound-like ant nests, which are honeycomb-shaped inside, while the nests of ordinary ants will not rise; If you peel off the surface, there will be many dark red ants gushing out, large and small, among which the large is a soldier ant, and the small one is a worker ant, all of which can bite and sting.
Red fire ants are extremely fecundive, the number of individuals in a mature ant nest can reach hundreds of thousands, and an ant nest often has multiple queens, each queen ant can lay thousands of eggs per day, and ant mounds can be built on the ground in a short time, which has a great competitive advantage in the ecosystem, and has almost no natural enemies in the mainland.
According to the statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in 2016, red fire ants invaded 281 counties (cities and districts) in 11 provinces, and by 2023, the data will change to 625 counties (cities and districts) in 12 provinces, and 344 counties (cities and districts) will be newly invaded in 7 years, and its spread rate is still very fast.
According to earlier reports, the relevant person in charge of the Zhejiang Provincial Plant Protection Quarantine and Pesticide Management Station said that red fire ants are not a new invasive species in Zhejiang. As early as early December 2016, the first outbreak of red fire ants was detected in Luodian Town, Wucheng District, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, mainly in the seedling trading market (distribution center), newly built parks and green belts around the highway green belt.
Red fire ants may cause serious harm to agricultural and forestry production, human health, public safety and the ecological environment.
Every year, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs carries out a general survey of the epidemic of red fire ants, increases the density of epidemic monitoring points in high-risk areas, and bases itself on early detection and early disposal.
If you come across such a small mound on the side of the road, be sure to stay away
Experts remind that at present, red fire ants have entered an active period, if the public finds that there are red fire ant nests around their homes, try to bypass and avoid approaching the ant nest, and it is recommended to report to the garden and forestry department immediately, and the relevant technical departments or professional control agencies and companies will carry out prevention.
The nest of red fire ants is relatively easy to identify, generally 30 cm ~ 40 cm high, and it is easy to highlight after rain.
In addition, being bitten by red fire ants should not be taken lightly. To a lesser extent, you can: (1) wash the bite area with water or soapy water; (2) Apply cold compresses to the bitten area with cold water or ice; (3) Pay attention to keep the bite wound clean, and do not scratch it with your hands to avoid secondary infection; (4) If necessary, use the corresponding medicine under the guidance of a doctor to relieve allergic reactions.
Source: Xi'an Evening News, Yangtze River Daily, CCTV Finance