‘Carnivorous’ Ants in Wisconsin Could Soon Migrate to Illinois, Iowa

A carnivorous and invasive species of ants is quickly spreading around the United States, as if we needed one more thing to fear out in the big wide world of nature.

A potentially deadly species of ant, known as Asian needle ants, has now been found in 20 states, including Wisconsin. A view of the map curated by the USDA shows their presence largely exists on the eastern side of the united states, including the entirety of the east coast stretching all the way down to the Carolinas and Florida. Wisconsin happens to be one of the outlying states for them to exist, as well as Washington. The ants are not native to these locations.

READ MORE: Hummingbirds are Making Their Return to Wisconsin

These ants are tiny, and best of all... they sting! Their stings are sharp and painful, and can cause anaphylactic shock. Per the USDA, symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

• Skin reactions, including hives, itching, and flushed or pale skin
• Low blood pressure
• Constriction of the airway, wheezing, difficulty breathing
• Swollen tongue or throat
• Weak and rapid pulse
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• Dizziness or fainting
• Psychological symptoms, such as a feeling of impending doom

The ants like to live in leaf litter, rotted logs, firewood, and mulch, all things I will dutifully avoid for the foreseeable future. I'm allergic to tree nuts, so I'm no stranger to anaphylactic shock. It's awful.

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The fact that these ants are in Wisconsin now make them pretty likely to migrate their way into Illinois and Iowa. At least three cases of life-threatening anaphylactic reactions related to stings has been reported in Georgia, per NBC 5 Chicago. The venom in their sting is what causes the allergic reaction.

The fact that these ants are significantly smaller than house pest ants (the big ugly black ones, for the record) make them easier to slither into your homes and cause a ruckus.

The havoc these things can wreak on a human is bad enough, but apparently, they also have the ability to be scourges to the Earth and other native ant species, as well as termites. Asian needle ants eat native ants, which are crucial to maintaining environments. They invade their nests and take them as their own like the miserable tyrants they are.

With that, I hope these ants can't read, as I might be their first victim if they could. Read more about the invasive Asian needle ant making headway around the United States on NBC 5 Chicago's website.