Some Facts about Stinging Insects

Contrary to what people think, there are more deaths each year in the U.S. from bee and wasps stings than from snake bites. Fire ants have increasingly become a problem as well. For example, in 1998, there were an estimated 660,000 cases of fire ant stings in South Carolina, of which approximately 33,000 sought medical treatment for an estimated cost of 2.4 million dollars.

Fire ants are a growing health hazard. As many as 58 percent of a population living in infested areas are stung each year. Stings usually occur in the summer, most commonly in children and typically on the lower extremities. The fire ant gets its name from the immediate, intense burning and itching at the site of the sting. Almost everyone stung by a fire ant experiences some sort of a reaction to the venom, but 16 percent of people experience life-threatning reactions.

If traditional pesticides are not available to pest control personnel for the removal of wasp, ant, or bee nests in/around schools, then successful elimination of the nests - and their associated health risks - will be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Pesticides should be considered as important "public health tools" in the removal of such pests. Failure to have such tools available will ultimately lead to children being exposed to stinging insects.

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