Latest news with #UniversityofGeorgiaCollegeofAgriculturalandEnvironmentalSciences
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Ants With Potentially Fatal Sting Spotted in 20 U.S. States
Americans should be on alert for a stinging insect that's spreading across the United States this June. So far, at least 20 states have detected Asian needle ants. They've been found mostly in the northeastern and southeastern regions of the United States. However, some were spotted in Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. Asian needle ants were first discovered in the United States in 1932. The U.S. Forest Service said it takes "an experienced eye" to positively identify them. Dan Suiter, a professor for the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, spoke to ABC News about this invasive species. He has received calls from three separate people who suffered anaphylaxis after getting stung by an Asian needle ant. "In 25 years, I've had one phone call from an individual who was stung by a fire ant and suffered anaphylaxis, another one by something called a twig ant," Suiter told ABC News. "When I start getting calls annually about people who have been stung by an Asian needle ant, it says to me that there's a trend there." If you're stung by an Asian needle ant you could also develop symptoms such as hives and itching, low blood pressure, swollen tongue or throat, nausea, dizziness, weak or rapid pulse, and difficulty breathing. Asian needle ants usually nest themselves in dark, hidden hardwood habitats. Their population typically grows during the warmer weather months. Suiter is recommending that people remove nesting sites of hardwood. That's if they're going to be working outside this summer. Ants With Potentially Fatal Sting Spotted in 20 U.S. States first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 10, 2025
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
‘Sneaky' invasive ants that can hospitalize you spread across US. What to know
A 'sneaky' invasive species with a poison sting capable of sending some people to the hospital continues to spread across the United States, experts warn. Asian needle ants were first detected in the Southeastern United States in the 1930s but went 'relatively unnoticed' until the past 20 years, the U.S. Forest Service said. Now the unwelcome outsiders are found in several states across the nation. The ants can be difficult for people to notice because they don't build mounds and don't form foraging trails, Dan Suiter, an Orkin Distinguished Professor of Urban Entomology in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, said in a UGA Today article. But their venomous sting can pose a threat to some people, and the invasive insects also can damage native ecosystems, Suiter said. Ant populations typically peak in July and August, which matches the times when people are outside the most, Suiter said. Here's what to know about Asian needle ants: What are Asian needle ants? As their name suggests, the ants are native to Asia, including China, Japan and the Koreas, the U.S. Forest Service said. Their scientific name, Brachyponera chinensis, roughly translates to 'short, wicked ant from China,' USA Today reported. Asian needle ants are 'small, shiny, dark brown to black, with the end of the antennae and the legs being a lighter orange-brown,' the agency said. The species' worker ants are about 0.2 inches long. The ants are carnivorous, feeding on flies, beetles, grasshoppers and termites, USA Today reported. 'There are other ant species in the Eastern United States that superficially resemble Asian needle ants, so it takes an experienced eye to positively identify them,' the U.S. Forest Service said. The ants 'like to hide,' Suiter said, and unlike native ants, can be aggressive if disturbed. 'They like big oak trees, leaf litter and dead logs lying on the ground like the firewood piles near your house or any tree bark,' Suiter said. 'The ants also congregate under rocks, stones and areas high in moisture.' Where are Asian needle ants found in the US? The invasive ants were first detected in Georgia in 1932, the U.S. Forest Service said. Now they are found in at least 20 states across the U.S., including most of the Southeast, Northeast, Florida, Texas and Washington state, reported. The ants are capable of invading much of the temperate forests in North America, and unlike other invasive species don't require natural or human disturbances to thrive, the U.S. Forest Service said. 'If you live in an area where your backyard backs up into hardwoods, being able to identify these ants is important to keep yourself safe,' Suiter said. Why are Asian needle ants dangerous to humans? The ants pack a venomous sting, which can be painful and may lead to hospitalization for people with allergies to other insects, such as wasps or yellow jackets, Suiter said. 'People are most often stung when they're working in their garden,' Theresa Dellinger, a diagnostician at the insect identification lab at Virginia Tech, told USA Today. 'Nobody likes to be putting in their bedding plants and then suddenly have unexpected pain.' The U.S. Forest Service warned that symptoms of anaphylactic shock from an insect sting, including from an Asian needle ant, can include: 'Hives, itching and flushed or pale skin''Low blood pressure''Constriction of the airway, wheezing, difficulty breathing''Swollen tongue or throat''Weak and rapid pulse''Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea''Dizziness or fainting''Psychological symptoms, such as a feeling of impending doom' Even without an allergic reaction, a sting from an Asian needle ant can cause intense pain that 'comes and goes over the course of several hours,' the agency said. 'Imagine somebody inserting a needle directly into your flesh,' Benoit Guénard, a professor of ecology and entomology at the University of Hong Kong who has studied the species in North Carolina, told USA Today. 'It's a very sharp, acute pain but it's quite local.' Why are Asian needle ants bad for the environment? 'These ants also wreak havoc in native environments,' Suiter said. 'They outcompete other ant species that are important to the ecology of that area.' Especially concerning is the reduction of abundance and diversity among native ant species that act as seed dispersers, the U.S. Forest Service said. 'Many herbaceous plants' seeds have a nutritious structure attached called an eliasome, which attracts certain ants,' the agency said. This entices ants to carry away and disperse the seeds. When Asian needle ants push out native ant species, the seeds don't get dispersed, potentially causing 'dramatic, long-term negative effects on forest understory,' the forest service said. 'The seeds just die rather than being dispersed,' Guénard told USA Today. What can be done about Asian needle ants? 'While some control measures have shown to be effective against Asian needle ants, treating remote or forested areas seems unlikely due to the costs involved and the chance of negatively affecting other, desirable species,' the U.S. Forest Service said. While people, particularly those with allergies, can take precautions such as carrying an epinephrine pen and keeping an eye out for the ants, there's not much else that can be done. 'Unfortunately, as with many invasive species, it appears Asian needle ants are here to stay,' the agency said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
What to know about stinging Asian needle ants detected in 20 states
An invasive species of stinging ant is spreading across the United States with detections in at least 20 states. Brachyponera chinensis, or the Asian needle ant, have been found mostly in the northeastern and southeastern U.S., but have also been detected in Wisconsin, Texas and Washington state, according to the ant detection site Asian needle ants are shiny dark brown to black and are small, measuring about 0.2 inches in length, according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). MORE: Officials battle 'highly aggressive' red imported fire ant infestation in Southern California "There are other ant species in the Eastern United States that superficially resemble Asian needle ants, so it takes an experienced eye to positively identify them," the USFS wrote in an update. They are native to China, Japan and the Koreas and were first discovered in the U.S. in 1932, according to the federal agency. It noted that Asian needle ants typically nest themselves in dark, hidden hardwood habitats, such as logs and landscape timbers, and form in small colonies. They don't establish foraging trails either, which are the long lines of ants on the ground that people typically see, Dan Suiter, an Orkin Distinguished Professor of urban entomology in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, told ABC News. Asian needle ants can sting when bothered, which can lead to symptoms such as skin reactions including hives and itching; low blood pressure; swollen tongue or throat; nausea, vomiting or diarrhea; dizziness or fainting; weak or rapid pulse; and wheezing or difficulty breathing, the USFS said. More severe symptoms can include anaphylaxis -- a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction -- or psychological reactions, such as a feeling of impending doom, according to the agency. Suiter, who is an extension entomologist, does some work in the pest control industry. In the last year, he said he got three calls from homeowners who have been stung by Asian needle ants and suffered anaphylaxis. On Monday morning, he said he got a message from a man whose wife was stung Sunday and is still in the hospital. MORE: Prehistoric ant preserved in amber reveals Caribbean's vanished species "In 25 years, I've had one phone call from an individual who was stung by a fire ant and suffered anaphylaxis, another one by something called a twig ant," Suiter said. "When I start getting calls annually about people who have been stung by an Asian needle ant, it says to me that there's a trend there." Suiter said he is sure people have visited an emergency room suffering from anaphylaxis, but didn't realize they had been stung by the Asian needle ant and never saw it. He added that the Asian ant needle population starts to grow in the warmer weather months as the soil temperatures warm up, typically peaking July and August, followed by a small decline in the winter months. Unlike many other ant species, they can tolerate cooler weather, so they often appear as early as March. To protect yourself, Suiter recommends wearing thick gloves when working outside. He also recommends removing nesting sites of hardwood, such as stacking firewood, off the ground and sawing any pieces of logs that fall on a property into small chunks. To excise ants from the environment, Suiter said it requires bait from pest control agencies that can't be bought over the counter. "The whole idea of a bait is you give them a granule, they eat it, they share it with their nest mates and the Queen [ant], and you get a slow decline of the colony," he said. "So the professional pest control industry has a couple decent baits that work pretty well against this." The baits that target these invasive pests can also impact native species, so it's important to use a professional service that employs a careful application to minimize harm.
3 days ago
- Health
What to know about stinging Asian needle ants detected in 20 states
An invasive species of stinging ant is spreading across the United States with detections in at least 20 states. Brachyponera chinensis, or the Asian needle ant, have been found mostly in the northeastern and southeastern U.S., but have also been detected in Wisconsin, Texas and Washington state, according to the ant detection site Asian needle ants are shiny dark brown to black and are small, measuring about 0.2 inches in length, according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). "There are other ant species in the Eastern United States that superficially resemble Asian needle ants, so it takes an experienced eye to positively identify them," the USFS wrote in an update. They are native to China, Japan and the Koreas and were first discovered in the U.S. in 1932, according to the federal agency. It noted that Asian needle ants typically nest themselves in dark, hidden hardwood habitats, such as logs and landscape timbers, and form in small colonies. They don't establish foraging trails either, which are the long lines of ants on the ground that people typically see, Dan Suiter, an Orkin Distinguished Professor of urban entomology in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, told ABC News. Asian needle ants can sting when bothered, which can lead to symptoms such as skin reactions including hives and itching; low blood pressure; swollen tongue or throat; nausea, vomiting or diarrhea; dizziness or fainting; weak or rapid pulse; and wheezing or difficulty breathing, the USFS said. More severe symptoms can include anaphylaxis -- a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction -- or psychological reactions, such as a feeling of impending doom, according to the agency. Suiter, who is an extension entomologist, does some work in the pest control industry. In the last year, he said he got three calls from homeowners who have been stung by Asian needle ants and suffered anaphylaxis. On Monday morning, he said he got a message from a man whose wife was stung Sunday and is still in the hospital. "In 25 years, I've had one phone call from an individual who was stung by a fire ant and suffered anaphylaxis, another one by something called a twig ant," Suiter said. "When I start getting calls annually about people who have been stung by an Asian needle ant, it says to me that there's a trend there." Suiter said he is sure people have visited an emergency room suffering from anaphylaxis, but didn't realize they had been stung by the Asian needle ant and never saw it. He added that the Asian ant needle population starts to grow in the warmer weather months as the soil temperatures warm up, typically peaking July and August, followed by a small decline in the winter months. Unlike many other ant species, they can tolerate cooler weather, so they often appear as early as March. To protect yourself, Suiter recommends wearing thick gloves when working outside. He also recommends removing nesting sites of hardwood, such as stacking firewood, off the ground and sawing any pieces of logs that fall on a property into small chunks. To excise ants from the environment, Suiter said it requires bait from pest control agencies that can't be bought over the counter. "The whole idea of a bait is you give them a granule, they eat it, they share it with their nest mates and the Queen [ant], and you get a slow decline of the colony," he said. "So the professional pest control industry has a couple decent baits that work pretty well against this." The baits that target these invasive pests can also impact native species, so it's important to use a professional service that employs a careful application to minimize harm.
