Officials are sounding the alarm as venomous Asian needle ants are invading more parts of the US.
These insects, native to China, have a sting that can trigger severe allergic reactions, and in extreme cases, death.
This invasive species was first spotted in the US more than 90 years ago, but its population has recently surged and is now spreading up the East Coast, experts say.
They are now found in 19 states: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Kentucky, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin and Washington state.
The Asian needle ant is a small-to-medium-sized ant, with workers and queens measuring up to one fifth of an inch in length. They are shiny, dark brown to black, with the end of the antennae and the legs being a lighter orange-brown.
Their stings cause ‘intense pain’ at the site that ‘comes and goes over the course of several hours,’ but some people have also reported pain away from the sting site, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Some people may also experience anaphylaxis — a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction — as a result of an Asian needle ant sting.
These ants prefer damp areas beneath stones or rotting logs, but have also been found in parks, lawns, potted plants, under wood piles and hiding in construction materials such as logs, bricks and pavers.
Nothing good ever comes from China.
We need to stop buying china junk, it’s all use and throw away. Piss poor quality.
The new venomous insect isn’t any worse than our invasion of Haitians.