Got hit again yesterday and figured this board would have some good tips. I have never really found a great treatment.

1) what to use right away if available or some options if out in the field and not much available?
2) what to do after the fact when they start itching like crazy?

Plenty of home remedies out there on the web but I know OB are the real experts.

What my wife uses on me when I find myself playing with fire ants. Apply cold compresses to reduce swelling 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. using a hydrocortisone cream on the skin to relieve itching. taking an antihistamine to manage minor, localized allergic reactions and itching.

If you've got any aloe vera plants around use that for quick relief.

I keep a small spray bottle with 50-50 Clorox Water mix. Recommended to me by A&M's Dr Fire Ant

Baking soda paste usually good for most bites/stings

You can do what I do. Grab your epi pen and go hang out in the nearest emergency room parking lot in case this is the time **** gets real again.

Ivarest Anti-Itch Cream

Oh damn

Ammonia. It works

I'm with Ol Ag on this one unfortunately but I add 100mg of Bendadryl and 20mg of Famotidine on the way.

Pee on it

Be a man. Bite them back and move on.

Maybe I've been doing it wrong.

Upon getting bit by one or several, curse, brush them off your leg and then get back to the work at hand.

When they blister up, pop them.

Sting Kill

https://sting-kill.com/#:~:text=As%20soon%20as%20you%20feel,from%20bees%2C%20insects%20and%20jellyfish.

SanAntoneAg said:

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Maybe I've been doing it wrong.

Upon getting bit by one or several, curse, brush them off your leg and then get back to the work at hand.

When they blister up, pop them.

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I make an organic craft oil in my garage that stops those little pesky fire ant bites from itching. Its only $500 a vile. You should try some! Stop with that toxic masculinity man

I've often wondered what it is about their sting that almost always makes small pustules. The only "bite" they do is to latch on for leverage with that stinger on the other end.

I scratch them until they hurt. I can deal with the hurting easier than itching

make a paste of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 baking soda.....works wonders

Love to pop em!

SanAntoneAg said:

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Maybe I've been doing it wrong.

Upon getting bit by one or several, curse, brush them off your leg and then get back to the work at hand.

When they blister up, pop them.

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I was about to post basically the same thing. I didn't realize people treated fire ant bites in any way.

B-1 83 said:

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I've often wondered what it is about their sting that almost always makes small pustules. The only "bite" they do is to latch on for leverage with that stinger on the other end.

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This.

And the pustules hurt like a mofo on me, the older I get the worse they seem to get as well. Guess my resistance or whatever is fading as I age.

Apple cider vinegar. My wife heard about it. I was wearing sandals, like a dumb ass, while lighting fireworks with my kids over the holiday and stepped in a fire ant bed. I felt my foot catch on fire and looked down to see it cover in fire ants. Did a one legged dance while brushing them off. My wife had me go to the shower and swabbed a whole bottle of apple cider vinegar on my foot. The next day, nothing. It was like it never happened.

My wife says she heard something in the apple cider vinegar neutralizes the venom, but, you have to get it on immediately for it to work.

AgNav93 said:

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Apple cider vinegar. My wife heard about it. I was wearing sandals, like a dumb ass, while lighting fireworks with my kids over the holiday and stepped in a fire ant bed. I felt my foot catch on fire and looked down to see it cover in fire ants. Did a one legged dance while brushing them off. My wife had me go to the shower and swabbed a whole bottle of apple cider vinegar on my foot. The next day, nothing. It was like it never happened.

My wife says she heard something in the apple cider vinegar neutralizes the venom, but, you have to get it on immediately for it to work.

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Well, rats! I learned something today, and now I'll have to forget something to make room. It's hell when your disk is full.

Thanks for this tip.

Windex.

Wearer of the Ring said:

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Windex.

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I see what you did there!

What a bunch of whimps...kill fire ant get back to business

B-1 83 said:

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I've often wondered what it is about their sting that almost always makes small pustules. The only "bite" they do is to latch on for leverage with that stinger on the other end.

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My understanding is that they actually inject enzymes from their mouth into the bite in addition to the sting, but that may be internet misinformation.

Anyways, we have used lemon / lime juice with some success for itch before or after pustule pop.

AggieMPH2005 said:

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I'm with Ol Ag on this one unfortunately but I add 100mg of Bendadryl and 20mg of Famotidine on the way.

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I do the Benadryl as well on the way but I'm gonna look into Famotidine.

SanAntoneAg said:

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Maybe I've been doing it wrong.

Upon getting bit by one or several, curse, brush them off your leg and then get back to the work at hand.

When they blister up, pop them.

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This.

Growing up in SE Texas, I we scratch a few times and then look forward to popping them the next day.

Fire ants sting a little and itch a little, and it quits doing both after 5-10 minutes.

Wearer of the Ring said:

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Windex.

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It's the ammonia in Windex that helps with a variety of stings.

Bird Poo said:

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SanAntoneAg said:

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Maybe I've been doing it wrong.

Upon getting bit by one or several, curse, brush them off your leg and then get back to the work at hand.

When they blister up, pop them.

---

This.

Growing up in SE Texas, I we scratch a few times and then look forward to popping them the next day.

Fire ants sting a little and itch a little, and it quits doing both after 5-10 minutes.

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It isn't the bite, which is annoying. It's the day after and the next several days.

Used to they didn't bother me all that much, but the last maybe 3-5 years, its different. I get painful pustules that don't really pop, and they hurt like hell when you do pop them. Sometimes it takes a week or more for one to heal up. Sucks getting old.

It's not all bad, I've also found as I get older I seem to be less sensitive to poison ivy than I was as a kid. Still get it on occasion, but I have to be all up in a mess of vines before it really gets me whereas growing up I could just brush up against it and break out that day with a rash.

I admit, I haven't been hit real good in a while. My 47 year old body would likely do the same.

Wearer of the Ring said:

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Windex.

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I thought I was the only lunatic that looked forward to popping ant bites.

They usually don't bother me much. Stings and burns a few minutes, I get a tiny welt. After 15-20 minutes I can barely tell it happened. I just don't react much to them. I rarely even get the sting blisters.

Colonel A. 1976 said:

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What a bunch of whimps...kill fire ant get back to business

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Same kind of folks who would cut a couple of toes off with a chainsaw and just have to go to the doctor. Put the things in a jar for a souvenir and go right back to work dammit. Hell, was hauling hay in 103-degree heat, and I got struck by a diamondback rattler. Thing was huge and hit me so hard it buried so deep in my calf I had to use a nail bar to pry his head off me. I just looked at him and said "that the best you got you *******?" and cut his head off with a pocketknife. I will admit I stopped long enough to get a drink of water, though I felt like a sissy for doing so.

But fire ants? Come on guys.