Flying Ants Will Bite If Provoked

Most species of ants have flying ants. They develop wings for the express purpose of mating and procreating the next generation of ants. Once the ants mate, they lose their wings, never to fly again. A male ant dies after mating whether he has the chance to mate or not. The female ant also loses her wings after mating but she sets about the task of building a new colony. She will find an area of soft soil, dig in and begin laying eggs.



Black or brown flying ants, like most animal species, will bite, but not sting, if disturbed. The bites are typically not painful, but the bites will itch. If a person is allergic to ant bites, they may become infected and painful and require medical treatment. Ant bites may result in a rash and some swelling depending on the severity of the bite and persons tolerance to ant bites.



Flying ants from the fire and carpenter ant family have a different story when it comes to biting. Both species not only bite, which can be quite painful but they also sting which is also extremely painful. The sting of a flying ant will contain venom of an alkaloid nature. 95% of the venom that contains the alkaloids is responsible for the pain and white pustules that will sometimes appear usually within 24 hours of the attack. The other 5% of the venom contains a solution of peptide, proteins and other molecules that produce an allergic reaction for those that are sensitive to ant bites and stings.



Flying ants of the fire variety will attach themselves to the skin and using their mandibles, lower the tip of their gaster to inject the stinger directly into the skin. In this case, only the sting is responsible for the pain and resulting pustule if bitten by an ant, the identity of the type of ant is necessary for medical treatment. Capture the ant in a container if possible and bring it along if the bite results in a trip to the emergency room or to the Doctor's office.



Most flying ant bites can be treated at home without medical intervention. If the bites or stings are extremely painful or swelling occurs, medical attention may be required. Sometimes, ant bites will resolve themselves, and there are times a victim will not even know they have been bitten. Most kitchens contain all the elements to treat ant bites and stings. Wash the bite area with warm soap and water and then hydrogen peroxide to minimize infection. This will also wash out venom in the event of a sting. Taking an antihistamine will reduce swelling and redness and limit itching. Over the next few days wash the bite area with soap and water and cortisone cream as needed.



Stewart Wrighter recently reviewed cost effective methods of managing flying ants and searched for organic flying ant treatments to include in his report. He discovered readily available household remedies to manage the pest control issue.