What is the best way to protect yourself from the nasty sting of a Solenopsis invicta (fire ant)? Wear gloves. Many of us wear gloves when we are gardening. Of course! Thorns and slivers and blisters all compel us to wear gloves, especially folks like me with soft office hands. So, on a typical day of gardening out in the yard I will be wearing gloves. But the danger lurks when we are not gardening. When you are enjoying your yard or doing something else and you see just a *little* thing that needs a spruce up. Oh, just pull that weed, straighten that pile, pick up those empty pots. This is where they will get you! Ants love to set up shop in neglected areas and if you reach in bare handed the ants will make their presence known. So enjoy your garden, treat it with respect, and wear gloves. All the time.
I have not been stung through clothing or gloves so I believe that they provide sufficient protection from ant bites.
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