This ant invading SC can kill you and it’s spreading. Here’s what to know

As if Argentine tegu, brown marmorated stink bug and emerald ash borers weren’t enough invasive species for South Carolina, now comes a resurgence of the Asian needle ant whose painful sting can cause death.

The ant has been in the United States for some 90 years, but scientists say the population has recently been increasing in the South, the Clemson University Home and Garden Information Center says on its website.

“This ant is not very well-recognized, even by entomologists,” the information center said. “Although it is very common in the Upstate of South Carolina, it is rarely identified.”

It resembles a common fire ant, and a sting is often attributed to that invasive species from South America.

The Asian needle ant sting can trigger anaphylaxis.

The United States Department of Agriculture says anaphylaxis may cause swelling of the tongue or throat, constriction of the airway, difficulty breathing, wheezing, a weak or rapid heart rate, skin reactions like hives, itching, flushed or pale skin, dizziness, vomiting, fainting, and in extreme cases, death.

Asian needle ants are native to China, Japan and Korea and were first discovered in the United States in 1932. They likely hitched rides on ships.

Typically you’ll find these creatures beneath stones, logs, stumps and debris. They like moist and dark and your landscaping add ons — mulch, railroad ties. statues, pavers.

Clemson says colony sizes range from a single nest with less than 50 ants to many nests with more than 5,000. Often there are multiple queens in each colony.

They also wipe out species of ants that are beneficial and native.

They’re not particularly aggressive but cause problems when they get trapped in clothing, you put your hand on or kneel on one.

They are active beginning in March and continue through October.

The Asian needle ant is documented from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, and unpublished records also occur from Tennessee and Alabama.

How to protect yourself:

• Limit lawn ornamentation.
  
  
• Make sure screens on doors and windows fit.
  
  
• Treat nest sites with insecticide.
  
  

This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM.