Children's Medical Center - Health Information Pediatric Primer Fire Ant Bites When it comes to fire ants, the best policy is avoidance. Aggressive, venomous and highly mobile, fire ants were first imported into the United States from South America in the early 1920s. Since that time these meddlesome creatures have slowly migrated throughout most of the southern United States.
Children often mistake fire ant mounds for sand piles, and that's when problems arise.
The fire ant's attack is a two-part process consisting of a bite and a sting. When the ant stings, it injects a venom that causes the release of histamine, a chemical in our bodies that can produce pain, itching, swelling and redness of the skin. Within seconds after the sting, discomfort occurs at the local site and a small red welt appears. The welt can enlarge rapidly, depending on the amount of venom that was injected and the victim's sensitivity to the venom. The reaction persists for up to an hour, and then a small blister that contains clear fluid will form.