There are three types of ants that are known to sting people occasionally: fire ants, acrobat ants, and harvester ants. Additionally, there are a few ants that bite, including tawny crazy ants and carpenter ants. All ants use their bite or sting as a defense mechanism, usually when ants in their colony are threatened. More often than not, ants do not bite or sting people. When it does occur, the symptoms involved are typically mild.