The First Thing to Do if You Step on a Fire Ant Hill

If you live in a rural or suburban area in the Southern states, you’ve likely seen a fire ant hill a few times in your life. Stepping on a fire ant hill, sometimes referred to as a mound, can mean almost immediate pain as the fire ants bite you in an attempt to protect their home. If you do step on a fire ant hill, it’s important to know what actions to take to avoid ongoing and sometimes life-threatening issues. Here’s what you need to know.

First Things First: What is a Fire Ant?

Fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are a type of ant most commonly found in South America, especially in Argentina, Paraguay, and other nearby countries. However, they are also found in many parts of the United States, particularly in western and southern states, including California, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida. The most common type of fire ant is small, measuring around 6 millimeters in length. They are typically copper brown in color with a dark abdomen. That said, fire ants living in a single nest may vary in size.

Fire ants are extremely aggressive. If their nest is threatened, they will rapidly attack by the tens or hundreds, and they will continue to do so until the threat is gone. When they attack a human, fire ants grab the skin with their jaws while stinging and injecting venom. They may even turn their head during the process, which increases the number of stings in a circular pattern. Within a day, the sting will develop into a pustule or small blister, and it may itch, become swollen or cause discomfort, from mild to severe.

What is a Fire Ant Hill?

A fire ant hill is a structure that’s built by ants that are tunneling underground. It’s typically made of sand, soil, and other materials that are pushed up as the ants tunnel around underneath the surface. The hill is not just a collection of the leftover soil. Instead, it serves multiple purposes: 

• The mound is the entrance to the underground tunnel system
• The hill protects the nest from predators
• The hill aids in controlling the temperature of the colony

The mounds will typically be found in open, sunny areas. However, you can also see them around stumps of trees, so always be on the lookout. One distinguishing sign of a fire ant hill is that you won’t find a hole/entrance on the top like with other ant hills. That’s because fire ants get to their colony through underground tunnels. A fire ant hill can vary in height but most mounds will reach between 18 to 24 inches in height.

What to Do if You Step on a Fire Ant Hill

Fire ant bites are painful for most and fatal for some, so immediate action is a must when you step on a fire ant hill. As soon as you realize that you’ve stepped on a fire ant hill, get as far away as you can from the mound and immediately get the ants off of you. Slap or brush off as many ants off of you as you can. If a hose is nearby, use that to wash them off. Try your best not to shake too much, though, as this will further aggravate the ants causing them to continue biting.

Apply First Aid

Once you’ve gotten away from the red ant hill and removed as many of the ants from your body as possible, assess the bites and apply first aid. Start by gently cleansing the area with soap and water. A cold compress may also help with redness and swelling, and an antihistamine like Benadryl can help with itching. Do your best, though, to avoid itching the bites as it may break the skin and create a risk of secondary infection or permanent scarring. 

For most people, the pain, discomfort, and itching will go away in a few days. However, there are some people (about 1% of the population) who are hypersensitive to the venom of fire ants, and while a single fire ant bite is unlikely to be incredibly problematic for most people, it can be extremely dangerous or fatal for individuals with severe allergies to fire ants. If you get bitten by a fire ant and experience swelling of the face, breathing difficulties, chest pains, or faintness, call 9-1-1 or have someone drive you to the emergency room immediately.

Helping Your Pets

Keep in mind that both children and pets may be at a higher risk of severe fire ant attacks because they have less awareness of where they step, what a fire ant mound looks like and the importance of avoiding them.

If you notice that your dog has stepped on a fire ant hill, move the pet away from the mount and give your dog a cool bath to remove any remaining ants and to relieve pain. Wear gloves when you’re giving your pooch a bath, though, so you don’t get bitten.

Get Rid of Fire Ant Hills

If you see a fire ant mound on your property, you should remove it — or have it removed — as soon as possible. There are several methods you can try. 

There are store-bought products that call the ants and even target the queen to ensure that the entire colony is killed. These products typically include acephate or bait like Amdro. Another solution is to shop for a lawn treatment that pairs a fertilizer with an ant killer.  

A more natural and free way to try to get rid of the mound is to pour 2-3 gallons of boiling water on top. The hope is that the water will eradicate the ants and the queen.

Finally, if you’d rather leave it to the pros, call your local exterminator who can tackle the issue and will likely guarantee their services.

In the end, the best way to avoid the pain of a fire ant bite is to keep watch and avoid mounds whenever possible. Follow these tips and keep yourself, your kids, and your pets safe while exploring the outdoors.