An invasive species of ant is making itself at home in the southern part of the United States. And apparently, the ant species has quite the bite.
According to WSET, the ant species carries a risk of anaphylaxis. We're talking about the Asian needle ant. The species has been in America since the 1930s. But it has only grown in recent years and now covers 20 states. They can be a bit difficult to find because they resemble ant species out there. However, instead of anthills, they build nests under logs and stones.
Stings can cause everything from pain to anaphylaxis.
"Thus, this invasive species could have dramatic, long-term negative effects on forest understory," the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
Ant Species
"They probably just want to be aware, and especially if they're, say, clearing out some rotten wood areas, make sure they have gloves on. Make sure they're paying attention so that if they see an ant or numerous ants, they can slowly back away," he said.
"One of the ways to minimize the numbers of needle ants in your yard would be simply to clean up all that," Dan Suiter, an entomologist with the University of Georgia's extension service, said. "The sting of an Asian needle ant is more dangerous on the individual ant level," Suiter said.
