In addition to its negative impact on humans, the Asian needle ant also wipes out other native ant species in an area that could be important to seed dispersal, according to the USDA.
A stinging ant species that can cause anaphylaxis in humans and has been found in the U.S. for 90 years is getting renewed attention.
The Asian needle ant is native to Asia, given its name, but has been established in the Southeastern U.S. since 1932, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
The pest is present in Georgia, as well as in other Southeastern states along the Eastern Seaboard.
“We are now considering it a medically important pest,” said Dan Suiter, an Orkin distinguished professor of Urban Entomology at the University of Georgia.
Ants are typically seen as a nuisance, especially when they invade homes or businesses. But the Asian needle ant poses a more serious threat – one that goes beyond inconvenience. more
“…an Orkin professor of entomology…”
Is that sort of like a Pfizer professor of pharmacology?
You worry about the needle ants, prof, and I’ll worry about the real problem ant down south: fire ants.
Until I read further I was afraid they were talking about James Carville.
Uncle Al, you mean southern piss ant.
Get a grip people. It’s just AOC on spring break.
OK, so now we have Killer Bees, Murder Hornets, and Asian Needle Ants. All imports from elsewhere.
Now if that Orkin Guy and his team could figure out how to unite these nasty critters and get them to guard our borders and keep illegals out of here, they would provide a needed public service.
” Asian needle ant” So what, here in Phoenix we are being invaded by the South American needle-dick (Bearner beanus).
Cut to the chase.
How will they use this to suspend rights and steal elections “to deal with the health emergency”?
“Venomous invasive pest”
…like Ilhan Omar, Barack Obama, Rashida Tlab, Shri Thanedar…
I like that the first ad in the feature is Hiklary Clinton; but all other suggestions above were equally likely.
Great, the last thing anyone needs is yet another Democrat constituency population
If you ever read the classic scifi novel City by Clifford D Simak, you know that the ants eventually take over the world because of a mutant human who taught the ants how to organize themselves. The dogs who were taught to speak also take over along with almost immortal robots who live for thousands of years and the few people that are left on Earth in nomadic tribes. And the rest of humanity has fled the Earth to settle out amongst Jupiter becoming strange non-human life forms.
A little off topic, but has anyone seen my recently imported acid spitting, venomous and highly aggressive giant scorpion? I didn’t know the damn thing could climb walls and now it’s missing.
Wyatt, Insensitive Progressive Jerk
Tuesday, 6 May 2025, 9:24 at 9:24 am
“A little off topic, but has anyone seen my recently imported acid spitting, venomous and highly aggressive giant scorpion?”
…no, but Im sure the government would be happy to levy a tax to fund a grant to research the feasability of starting a study to form a committee to model the department that will hire the people to examine the resumes of a department head to draft the qualifications such as gender, race, and kink for the job requirements of the person who can send you a PDF of how you should look for it…
And as usual the gubmint will screw it up, what else is new.
Most people are not aware, but the honey bee species is not native the the western hemisphere. It was imported from Europe by settlers hundreds of years ago and spread throughout the North and South continents.
@SNS: I’m in.