From Halifax News Net: European fire ants (Myrmica rubra Linnaeus) may be small, but they pack a powerful wallop.
“It’s like you took a hot needle and jabbed it into your skin,” said Lower Sackville resident Marion Hickey. She recalled taking her husband, Wayne, to the Cobequid Community Health Centre when he was stung between his thumb and forefinger by one of the 5 millimetre insects. The swelling was far worse than expected. “Within 35 minutes it looked like someone had blown up his hand.”
Unlike regular ants that scatter when approached, fire ants will stand their ground and attack with mandibles as well as a stinger located at the tip of its abdomen. They will also attack en masse if the nest is disturbed. The small red ants will go after humans, as well as pets. Stings often result in inflamed areas of skin from one to four inches in diameter.
The ants have since become so numerous and aggressive that Hickey is unable to use her backyard. It is the same story for an increasing number of her neighbors.
“Last summer we had ants taken to the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.” These were identified by zoologist Andrew Hebda as being European fire ants. She estimated that at least eight neighboring homes are currently being plagued by the pest.
So Hickey was somewhat surprised to learn from Clean Nova Scotia’s public service announcement last week that the ants had only just been identified by the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency.
Hickey and seven other neighbors are working on a plan with Braemar Pest Control Services to fight the invaders at a cost of $350 per household. “It has to be a blanket approach,” Hickey explained. “You have to hit them all at once, spray the whole neighborhood.” Colonies often have several queens working in conjunction with each other and all queens must be destroyed or the ants will make a comeback.
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