An estimated 2-4% of stings by Australian ants result in an allergic reaction to the ant's venom. For these individuals, an ant sting can very rapidly result in a severe allergic response including anaphylaxis.
The jack jumper ant (Myrmecia pilosula), also known as the jack jumper, jumping jack, hopper ant, or jumper ant, is a species of venomous ant native to Australia.
The Bulldog Ant - This is recorded by scientists as the most dangerous ant in the whole world. Commonly found in Australia, this ant is the most aggressive species of all. The bulldog ant can use its stinger and its jaw aggressively at the same time.
Most ants are not a threat to humans. During an ant bite, the ant will grab your skin with its pinchers and release a chemical called formic acid into your skin. Some people are allergic to formic acid and could experience an allergic reaction from the ant bite. Some ants will sting and inject venom into your skin.
Capable of sending an allergic human into anaphylactic shock, the jack jumper ant is weirdly aggressive, and in very rare circumstances, its venom can be fatal.
There are many species of both jack jumpers and inchman ants in Australia . However, some members of the small Tasmanian fauna (M. pilosula and its close relatives) have achieved notoriety because of their sting and, more importantly, the allergic reaction some people have to their stings (see below).
Bull Ants. Bull ant bites aren't bites at all. A sharp prong near its abdomen pumps venom made up of proteins, histamines and other stuff into its target – because it's quite big in comparison to other ants you'll encounter, the sting hurts significantly more.
Bullet ant
Last but not least, we have the most painful sting of all — the bullet ant sting. Schmidt describes the pain as “pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like walking over flaming charcoal with a three-inch nail embedded in your heel” and rates it as a 4.0+…off-the-charts pain that lasts up to 24 hours.
That's why sprays are useless; they never get to the queen. But worker ants will carry a low-dose ant poison back to the queen for you. You don't have to find her; the worker ants are both the problem and the answer.
Local reaction is the most common presentation following an ant bite/sting. It consists of localised pain, itch, redness, swelling, and induration. The swelling is usually less than 5 cm in diameter, and is sometimes urticarial (wealing). A local reaction lasts for less than 24 hours.
Nothomyrmecia, also known as the dinosaur ant or dawn ant, is an extremely rare genus of ants consisting of a single species, Nothomyrmecia macrops. These ants live in South Australia, nesting in old-growth mallee woodland and Eucalyptus woodland.
Lasius (Moisture ants)
They are a family of small workers and males, in contrast to their large queens. The moisture ants are mostly nocturnal. Many of them are considered “friendly” due to their weak jaws and relatively low levels of agressiveness. They build their nests in the ground next to rocks or dead wood.
Bull ants are large, alert ants that can grow up to 40 mm They have characteristic large eyes and long, slender mandibles and a potent venom-loaded sting. They have superior vision, able to track and even follow intruders from a distance of 1 metre.
You may know them as green-head ants (Rhytidoponera metallica), but metallic pony ants or just green ants are also popular names for these insects. Despite their impressive look, these little crawlers should not be taken lightly because of their dangerous and venomous sting.
Carpenter ant (Camponotus spp)
Sometimes called sugar ants, Carpenter ants are one of the most common and widespread groups of ants in Australia. Species vary greatly in size and colour, ranging from about 2.5 - 14mm in overall length, and from brown to pale brown in colour. They don't sting, but may bite.
It is advised not to squash ants, doing so will only release pheromones and trigger more ants to come to the location and cause more trouble to you and your family. Ants are known to pack a deadly bite that causes excruciating pain for a short time.
A fire ant's stinger is not barbed, so it can sting a person multiple times. “You may see a row of red marks, and that's where one ant has grabbed on and stabbed its stinger down in a semicircle,” he says.
Use air-tight plastic containers and bags to limit the ants' access. If you've removed all possible food sources and the ants still won't take the bait, you need to contact a pest control professional. The exterminator can inspect the area, diagnose the problem, and recommend an effective treatment.
It is important to resist the urge to scratch the stings. Scratching can open the blisters and cause infection. Many of these treatments are available for purchase over the counter or online, including hydrocortisone cream, antihistamine, and triple antibiotic ointment.
Ants don't literally 'bite' you. They release a small drop of acidic venom from their mouths onto your skin which causes you to feel that blistering pain like a burn. This burning sensation lasts for a while or even longer depending on the type of ant you have been stung by.
It can sting multiple times at once, moving in a circular direction, sometimes, delivering seven or eight stings at a time. The ants may repeatedly sting you unless you kill them or remove them from your skin.
They inflict a painful, fiery sting, which can, in rare cases, cause a severe acute allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Since fire ants were first detected in the Brisbane area in February 2001, they have spread across South East Queensland. Nests have been found in an area spanning an estimated 600,000 hectares.
They're found right across the mainland and in Tasmania but are most common in the county's south-east. Bull ants are mostly large ants, characterised by long, lean bodies, big eyes and huge, powerful, forward-pointing mandibles that can inflict a painful bite.