I got bitten by a bull ant about 1/2 an hour ago. I am in agony. I can't believe how painful this is, I am full of drugs (phenergan and panadiene) and it is still excruciating.

Glad you are much better now. I will have to try some of those suggestions. Little creatures get angry also, I guess!

Thank you all for such kind concern and fabulous advise. I would normally go straight for the natural therapies but the last time I was stung by an insect I ended up in hospital with a very sever local allergic reaction. Not an anaphalaxis but very painful hugely swollen area. So I just went straight antihistamine and the pain killers because I new I was going to need them eventually. I had one little wasp sting on my thumb that made my entire hand and wrist swell up like a balloon became so painful I had to go to the emergency department at a bout 2am. So there is no point me mucking around with these things. I am so much better today, just a little itchy.

Alice I don't know what a bull ant is but I know insect bites can really be painful. I do hope you feel better soon. I see many cuties have good advice on how to treat insect bites. I have nothing new to add but a big hug from MN and hope you feel better soon.
Cindy B.*4U

Hope you are better!!

Believe it or not if you slice an onion and rub the juice on the green ant sting it works.

My advice is too late now, because you need to use it right after you are bitten, but my pediatrician told me to swab my child's bites with bleach. It neutralizes the poison. That was for fire ants - I don't know anything about bull ants, but maybe it works for them, too. Glad to hear you are better.

I am so relieved to hear you are doing better now. I was so shocked when I red your post that I skipped the word ant & thought you had a bull bite you! I couldn't see how that could happen so I read it again. At least you can have a laugh at my expense-lol. Take care & rest.

2 comments

by fannyfurkin 10 Apr 2011

That is so funny, I really am laughing out loud.

by fannyfurkin 10 Apr 2011

My husband seems to think that being bitten by a bull would not be as painful as being bitten by a bull ant. he might have a point.

So sorry to hear about that vicious bite ! Our fire ants have nothing on your bull"y" ants !

Hi-Try soaking a cotton ball or cloth in vinegar and hold it on the bite--like really soak it-- Sounds strange I know- but this also works for Wasp,hornet, bee stings-- really soak it into it--it's amazing! I used to be a cub scout Mom And also little league mom, and that was very helpful there. Also It has helped me alot when I garden and get stung. Good luck with that--Sandy

...... Hi Alice..... :{ ....

Are you sure it was a bull-ant and not a fire-ant?

I know you'd know what bit you but I just wondered.

Fire-ant stings feel like cigarette burns I heard on a TV segment this week. They are also invading Queensland in huge areas and there are even sniffer-dogs trained now to find fire-ant nests where farm stock graze. It all looked very scary in the pictures of back yards where fire-ant nests are swarming with the busy creatures. I can't imagine the fear that mothers must have for their toddlers and children who want to play outside, or for their pets. One bite from these ants and the 'telegraph signal' goes out and in no time there are dozens of the ants swarming on the victim and I got the impression the stings are really bad.

I know the pain of bull-ant and inch-ant bites - is there a difference? The pain is the same. I was bitten as a child high on the leg as I sat on the front verandah step. Thank Goodness I had bloomers with good strong leg elastic on at the time.

I do hope you manage to keep the pain under control until it eases off. You won't need to be told to get off quickly to a doctor if things turn nasty for you, will you!!!
Keep us updated and I'm sending a great big hug from south-east South Australia to you.
AlmaG.

1 comment

by fannyfurkin 09 Apr 2011

I am not exactly sure which type of ant it was, but I don't think we have fire ants here because the counsel has been quite vigilant in stopping them from spreading. I only got one sting and I was standing where they were. My own fault because I never go out in the yard without shoes on but I was holding up a tent pole for my husband and did not think to put my shoes on. It is much better today the pain is gone and it is just itchy. ice really helped.

My thought, also, was putting ice on. Be sure not to leave it on too long and damage your skin. Bull ants are nasty little devils. Hope your pain subsides soon.

WOW! I've never even heard of a bull ant. Hope that you get better quickly.

hope the painkillers will do their job.and you feel better soon. Hugs G.

I don't know about bull ants, but we have fire ants. Benadryl tablets help. The active ingredient is Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride. I laid a garden glove down in the grass once for a few minutes while I got a drink of water and cane back and slipped it on and the fire ants had all crawled inside and stung my hand all over. The Benadryl saved me a trip to the hospital. I no longer can take it as I am on other allergy meds, so I have to be careful of the ants.

don't know if you are into herbal type meds-a paste of baking soda and common syrup works wonders on all sorts of things especially bug bites and burns

Alice i use my aloe vera plant for anything like this!!i just brake off a pieceand rub the gum on it works excellent for burns to!!carolyn

Well, Alice, they got the name on these right, but they left off the "y"......did you step on it? Unbelievable how there are such venomous little things running round out there.......we have those red ants in the south that can put one in the hospital if they swarm on you.......I hope it all goes away really soon for you...hugs...Vicki

I just read your post. I hope by now your feeling better. Here we have little tiny red ants but, the bite is horrible. Ice is #1 pain reliever for them.

Sorry for you. Never heard of that kind here. They must be real bad.

I'm sorry you had such a pain. It's good to know that are ants like that in Australia, I'll be more carefull when working with my garden. Take care dear Friend. Love and hugs,Yoriko

Do you mean a green Ant? They can be very angry, hope you are feeling better...Hugs Sally

I feel for you and am sorry this had to happen to you. I have never heard of such an ant (don't believe they are in the area I live). Glad you are better.

Poor Alice, Fortunatly we don't have this kind of ants in France ! bon retablissement.
Alice (an otherone) from France

here are the little critters that had me in agony for a few hours. How does something so small inflict so much pain on something so much bigger than it?

1 images:[1]

here are the little critters that had me in agony for a few hours. How does something so small inflict so much pain on something so much bigger than it?

1 images:[1]

Dear Alice, I hope the pain subsides soon, they are nasty little critters. Love Chris

1 comment

by fannyfurkin 09 Apr 2011

Chris the pain has settled now, but I am sure it will come back on and off for a few days, they are nasty critters indeed.

Someone sent an email to me recently about a common household item that worked for everything, I have searched and searched but be hanged if I can find it.
It might have even been the WD40 email, but I truly can't remember.

When I get bites, I usually use one of four things, if not all four. Teatree oil, Eucalyptus oil, Lavender oil or vinegar or I'll grab an ice cube and freeze the bite area.

I really feel for you as bull ant bites are excruciatingly painful and take a long time before they stop hurting.
I hope you find some relief soon.
hugs and roses, Meganne

1 comment

by fannyfurkin 09 Apr 2011

Meg,I was seriously expecting a bottle of whiskey to be on your list of four things. The ice was the most effective, but I had to take the phenergan because I have allergic reactions to most insect bites.

It sounds like you are like me ,something bites your are in pain for days & about 3 weeks later the red mark goes.My husband gave me a tube of ointment -Elocon -which came from the skin specialist which makes the itch or pain bearable.I don't know why he had it but I always make sure I have some where I can find it.

1 comment

by fannyfurkin 09 Apr 2011

The drugs have kicked in and the pain is gone, for now.

Oh my, they look like terrible bugs! I hope you feel better soon and don't get around them again! I don't like bugs at all.

1 comment

by fannyfurkin 09 Apr 2011

I don't like them either, I react quite badly to being stung.

Is this what bit you? It looks awful. So sorry to hear and on your anniversary. Take care Alice and I hope the drugs kick in soon
Bev

1 comment

by fannyfurkin 09 Apr 2011

There are a few different types of large nasty ants in Australia. I have a photo of the ones in back yard I will upload it.

Sorry to hear this. Thank goodness it was after your anniversary dinner. Get better soon.

1 comment

by fannyfurkin 09 Apr 2011

Yes I had enough trouble walking around in my hot pink heals. It would have been most difficult with a nasty ant sting on my foot.

Are you also icing the site of the bite to keep the swelling down?

1 comment

by fannyfurkin 09 Apr 2011

I have ice on it now, that is the only thing that seems to alleviate the pain.