Spring and autumn are the active seasons for red fire ants
When you're out and about
On roadsides, meadows, parks, hillsides......
Everybody sees this little red clay mound
▲The nest form of the red fire ant in the wild. Xinhua News Agency (Photo courtesy of the Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences)
Thousand! Ten thousand! Other! Kick!
Thousand! Ten thousand! Other! Touch!
Thousand! Ten thousand! Far! Leave!
Because that could be one
Extremely aggressive poisonous insect - red fire ants!
Once gently bitten by it
The wound is red, itchy, and suppurated
At least half a month to get better
In severe cases, shock may result
Even life-threatening!
Recently, a seemingly inconspicuous ant has been widely reported and attracted attention because of the successive injuries caused by incidents.
On May 12, the WeChat public account of the "Beijing Landscaping Resources Protection Center" also issued a popular science reminder that as the weather warms, an invasive pest enters the active period, that is, the "fierce" red fire ant.
Red fire ants are bright and red, posing a serious threat to human health, ecosystems, agriculture and forestry production in the invaded areas, and are even known as "the strongest invasive insect on the surface". It has not yet been discovered in Beijing.
Incidents of red fire ant injuries have been reported in many places
"I was bitten once, and it was 'fatal', and that night (the sting site) was red, swollen and hot, and the bulging bag was the size of a palm, like another knee on my leg...... At the worst time, the scalp is numb, and the whole person is dizzy. Ms. Xia, who lives in Wuhan, described how she felt after being stung by red fire ants.
It turned out that Ms. Xia was walking in slippers in the community, which is rich in greenery, and she was accidentally stung on her right leg by red fire ants, and then went out several times, even though 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
Ms. Wu, a resident of Guangdong who had a similar experience to Ms. Xia, said that she was unfortunately bitten by red fire ants under a tree, and at first she didn't think it was a big deal, but the wound began to itch, hot, red and swollen that night, and the redness and swelling continued to spread in the next few days, and the pain was obvious, and she couldn't sleep all night.
▲ The wound after being stung by a red fire ant. Source: Courtesy of the interviewee
"I thought I had been poisoned, and the bite on my leg was horrible, and the pain was so unbearable that I even wondered if I would have to amputate my leg. Later, the dermatologist said that it was insect bite dermatitis, and prescribed two mometasone furoate creams, which were applied 3 times a day and continued to be ice, and after 3 days of medication, they finally slowly recovered. Ms. Wu said that red fire ants are very common in Guangdong, and now they must have anti-mosquito medicine when they go out, and they dare not stand under trees and grass unless they have sprayed beforehand.
Mr. Wu, a resident of Guangxi, also said that there are many red fire ants in southern China, especially near the grass, and signs have been erected in the park to remind them, but the number is too large to be eliminated almost completely, so he can only take precautions and try to stay away from the mound-like ant nests.
Be careful when encountering TA
The Red Fire Ant, the Latin metaphor for the "invincible ant", got its name because it is difficult to control. It belongs to the social insect and is a type of ant with a body length of about 3 mm to 7 mm, native to South American countries such as Brazil and Argentina.
▲Morphology of red fire ant worker ants under the microscope. Xinhua News Agency (Photo courtesy of the Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences)
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 it with a tail needle and release venom, and the sting will have a burning pain, followed by redness, swelling and suppuration, and some people with allergies may go into shock or even die.
"Meet on a narrow road" don't provoke
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.
▲ Source: Internet
Do not step on the nest after discovering red fire ants, and do not touch them with your hands to prevent being bitten. If you find it crawling on your body, pat it off or shake it off quickly, or you may get stung.
When living or working in the area where red fire ants are active, take full protection, wear gloves, wear long rain boots, and apply talcum powder on them.
On the mainland, there are almost no natural predators, and 12 provinces have been invaded
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 and cities will be newly invaded in 7 years, and their spread rate is still very fast.
The transmission and dispersal pathways of red fire ants are mainly divided into human-caused and natural dispersal. Anthropogenic transmission is generally transmitted through horticultural plants, turf, soil, vehicle transportation, agricultural machinery and equipment, etc. Natural transmission mainly includes the breeding of red fire ants, the dispersal of ants, the dispersal of ants, the dispersal of water currents, and the separation and relocation of nests.
▲ The breeding ant of the red fire ant is married. Xinhua News Agency (Photo courtesy of the Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences)
Lu Yongyue, a professor at the Red Fire Ant Research Center at South China Agricultural University, said, "Soil-related transport has the potential to spread red fire ants, and according to our research estimates, if not effectively curbed, red fire ants will continue to spread in the next 10 to 15 years, and may expand to 1,400 to 1,600 counties and cities." ”
In addition to improving the level of biological research and efficient prevention and control technology of red fire ants, "we need to establish a joint prevention and control mechanism with multi-department coordination and operation, and launch a national guidance program for red fire ant prevention and control." Lu Yongyue said that the prevention and control of red fire ants involves agriculture, forestry, transportation, water conservancy and other departments, and the "last meter" of prevention and control is the key, which requires joint cooperation and responsibility to effectively remove them.
What to do if you get bitten?
A red fire ant bite 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.
If you have a history of allergies or severe reactions after being bitten, you must go to the hospital quickly for anti-allergy and local debridement.
Source: Xiaokang Toutiao WeChat public account comprehensive Xinhua News Agency, CCTV news, Jiupai news, "Beijing Landscaping Resources Protection Center" WeChat public account
Editor-in-charge: Wang Fang
Review: Tian Yuan Yuying