The south can be a harsh place insect-wise. You could be walking around on a rare cool day bare-foot when you feel an immense burning feeling. You were just wanting to enjoy the day, but an extremely tiny fiend decided otherwise. The culprit is none other than the notorious fire ant. Oh man, those little buggers hurt! If you have a fire ant problem, you need to seriously be careful because a thousand of those little pinches and you could be a gigantic meal.

The fire ant’s bite is filled with venom, and this venom can do some nasty things. A fire ant bite causes a little red bump which can then turn into a white postule. Besides being very ugly in appearance, these bumps can eventually form scars. That’s only if you aren’t allergic, if you are allergic, then the venom can cause anaphylactic shock, which, when not immediately treated, can cause death. No joke, fire ants are not the bug with whom to mess around.

One way to keep them away from your home is by baiting. Baiting provides a food source that is everything an ant could want, plus a little surprise, toxicants. Baits will keep the ants away for a while, but they need to be replaced, every now and then. You can use pesticides on local ant hills that seem to be forming around your abode.

You just have to be careful around ants. They may look small, but they pack a powerful punch that could very well knock you out.