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Of interest in the article is this: > flooded fire ants deliver higher doses of venom because they have 165 percent as much venom inside them as normal fire an
by nvahalik 9y ago
Of interest in the article is this:
> flooded fire ants deliver higher doses of venom because they have 165 percent as much venom inside them as normal fire ants
Growing up in rural Texas I can assure you that fire ants were never to be messed with (unless you had fire/gasoline).
I got stung once 3 or 4 times on my ankle, which was swollen for about 3 days. The bites were hug. The oozed a milky liquid. We doused them in calamine lotion, but it still didn't stop something like arthritis from hurting.
Having been stung by wasps and bees, I find those preferable to fire ant stings. I couldn't imagine getting stung by something over 50% worse.
- mawburn 9y agoThat doesn't happen to everyone. They are just a minor irritation for me, the bite itself is the worst part. Sometimes it'll itch for a couple days with a little pimple, but even that's rare. I know people who bruise and break out horribly from them, though.
- DoofusOfDeath 9y agoPerhaps you have a mild allergy?
- alyandon 9y agoSounds like you are allergic. When I sustain bites they are virtually painless for me but they form those annoying pus filled blisters that last for a few days and itch like crazy.
- unethical_ban 9y agoI think you're allergic to fire ants. They hurt, and you do get those zit-like sores, but I would much rather get a few fire ant bites than a bee or especially a wasp sting.
- tasty_freeze 9y agoAustinite here. I've been bitten hundreds of times by fire ants. Often, a couple dozen bites at a time (eg, doing yard work in tall grass, not realizing I'm standing next to a fire ant mound, and getting swarmed before I know it). They are far less painful than wasp stings, by a factor of 100 or more. On the other hand, a wasp sting goes away pretty quickly, but fire ant bites usually result in pimple-like sores that itch, and it takes the better part of a way to go away.
- selimthegrim 9y agoPity the grad student responsible for generating this number.
- btilly 9y agoRead https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt_sting_pain_index https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt_sting_pain_index and walk away in disbelief.
- hughdbrown 9y agoAnd the infographic: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-colorful-pain-index-of-the-stinging-ants-bees-and-wasps-around-the-world http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-colorful-pain-index...
- conductr 9y ago> Baldfaced Hornet: Rich, hearty, slightly crunchy. Similar to getting your hand mashed in a revolving door. > Sweat Bees: Light and ephemeral, almost fruity. A tiny spark has singed a single hair on your arm. Haha, the pain descriptions remind me of a wine menu
- selimthegrim 9y agoNot game ending options in Zork?
- grkvlt 9y agoI love the yellowjacket description: > hot and smoky, almost irreverent. Imagine W. C. Fields extinguishing a cigar on your tongue.
- daleco 9y agoA few years ago, I got stung by one on my Ankle in Florida. I still have a scar (5mm circle). I wouldn't imagine swimming on one of these nest, I would probably die...