I've heard for several years that there are fire ants in our area but I found my first confirmed (small) mound yesterday. I discovered it when while weeding in an unused raised bed the garden when I felt a sharp sting on my wrist and another between two fingers. Almost a day later the wrist is still swollen and itching. Who knows what kind of reaction I might have had without prompt use of The Extractor *. A few hours after spreading Fire Ant killer around the nest they had carried most of it underground. After a few days I think I'll fight fire with fire and dig up the nest with my propane powered blaster torch in hand.
* The Extractor, for those who haven't seen one:
extractor.jpg
https://www.amazon.com/Extractor-Sti.../dp/B004AQFCMQ
This looks like the same basic thing but cheaper: https://www.amazon.com/Rainfly-Extra.../dp/B07877K1RC
I buy them from Walmart in the camping section. (used to be $11.)
I'm a believer. This thing is amazing for stings from bees, wasps, and such. Instead of treating the symptoms of a sting it creates a vacuum and pulls at least some of the venom out of the skin so it can't possibly have the full effect. For example, I'm sensitive to yellow jacket venom - a sting on my hand caused my entire arm to swell up all the way to my neck. When I use The Extractor on a yellow jacket sting now all I get is a round red spot the size of a quarter or so. It usually stops the pain instantly, too. BTW, the syringe creates suction when the plunger is depressed. How do it do that?!
The little suction syringe is supposed to work with venomous snakes too but I haven't had the occasion to use it for that yet! I keep them in the house, in the shop, in the beekeeping kit, in the saddle bag on the trail, in the backpack when hiking, in each vehicle, and on the tractor. The downside of using it on the fire ant sting is now I still don't know if an untreated sting will need the epi-pen or send me to the hospital! (My oldest son discovered he has a huge reaction.)
In use, on a friend's neck:
extractor_in_use.jpg
JKJ