What would happen if you were stung by 10000 fire ants? Most likely nothing much. But what if you were stung by 100000 fire ants? The answer according to a new study is that you’d probably die.
Insect stings are no joke. In the United States about 100 people die each year from bee wasp and hornet stings according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But fire ants—native to South America but now found in the southern United States—are particularly dangerous because their stings are not only painful but also poisonous.
When a fire ant stings it actually punctures the skin and injects a venom called solenopsin. This venom causes a burning sensation and in some people an allergic reaction. In extreme cases the allergic reaction can lead to anaphylactic shock which can be fatal.
So how many fire ant stings would it take to kill a person? That’s what a team of researchers from Australia and the United States set out to answer in a new study published in the journal Toxicon.
To figure this out the researchers first needed to determine the LD50 of fire ant venom—that is the dose that would kill 50% of the test subjects. To do this they injected mice with increasing doses of fire ant venom until half of the mice died.
They found that the LD50 of fire ant venom is 0.24 mg/kg. In other words a 60-kg person would need to be stung by 14400 fire ants to have a 50% chance of dying from the venom.
Of course not everyone is equally susceptible to the effects of fire ant venom. Some people are more allergic than others and some people may have a higher tolerance to pain. So the researchers also looked at the LD0 of fire ant venom—that is the dose that would kill 0% of the test subjects.
They found that the LD0 of fire ant venom is 0.036 mg/kg. This means that a 60-kg person would need to be stung by 2160 fire ants to have a 100% chance of dying from the venom.
So how many fire ants actually live in a fire ant mound? That’s a difficult question to answer because fire ants are very good at hiding. A typical fire ant mound can contain up to 250000 ants but not all of these ants will be available to sting a person.
Still it’s clear that even a small fire ant mound could contain enough ants to kill a person. So if you see a fire ant mound it’s best to just leave it alone.
How many fire ants can kill you?
A single fire ant cannot kill you but multiple fire ants can.
A large swarm of fire ants can kill a human.
What do fire ants do when they sting you?
Fire ants sting you with their mouths injecting a venom that causes an intense burning sensation.
What are the symptoms of a fire ant sting?
Symptoms of a fire ant sting include redness swelling itching and pain.
What should you do if you are stung by a fire ant?
If you are stung by a fire ant you should remove the stinger wash the area with soap and water and apply a cold compress.
How many times can a fire ant sting you?
A fire ant can sting you multiple times.
What is the fire ant’s venom made of?
The fire ant’s venom is made of chemicals that cause an intense burning sensation.
What is the difference between a fire ant sting and a bee sting?
A bee sting is just a single puncture while a fire ant sting is multiple punctures.
How do fire ants kill their prey?
Fire ants kill their prey by stinging them with their mouths injecting a venom that causes an intense burning sensation.
What do fire ants eat?
Fire ants eat other insects spiders and small animals.
How do fire ants benefit the environment?
Fire ants benefit the environment by eating other insects spiders and small animals.
Do fire ants have any predators?
Yes fire ants have predators such as lizards birds and small mammals.
How do fire ants defend themselves?
Fire ants defend themselves by stinging their attackers with their mouths injecting a venom that causes an intense burning sensation.
What is the fire ant’s scientific name?
The fire ant’s scientific name is Solenopsis invicta.
Where do fire ants come from?
Fire ants come from South America.
How did fire ants get to the United States?
Fire ants came to the United States in cargo ships from South America.
