Red Imported Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Frequency of Sting Attacks on Residents of Sumter County, Georgia

Abstract

A survey of the human sting attack rate of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, on a sample population in Sumter Co., Georgia, USA, was conducted over a 12-month period. Seventy-seven families (310 individuals) initially participated in the program, but dropouts reduced the average study population to 272 individuals per month. A total of 213 sting attacks were recorded for 95 individuals. A majority (179) of these were recorded for rural residents. The greatest contact occurred from April to September, with the total sting attacks ranging from 18–35 per month. The highest sting attack rate occurred in persons under 20 years of age (50%); the number of stings declined with increased age. Females reported being stung at a slightly higher rate than males. Two individuals (1%) classified their sting reactions as severe, 26 (12%) as moderate, and 183 (87%) as mild.