Mellissa Hairston has been living in the Atlanta area for 15 years. But it wasn’t until Memorial Day 2024, while soaking up the sun from her Milton home’s hot tub, that the mother of four crossed paths with the Asian needle ant. It’s invasive, venomous and—within minutes—had Hairston fearing for her life.
The ant is nothing new to Georgia, according to University of Georgia Orkin Professor of Urban Entomology Dan Suiter. It’s been in the United States for roughly 100 years.
However, late summer marks their most active time of the year. And it’s a “medical pest” capable of causing significant harm that’s largely unknown to Georgia residents.
A sting, hospital visit and word of warning
“I can’t tell you that the rate people are being hospitalized is any different now than it was 30 years ago,” Suiter told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I can’t say that, but nobody’s talking about it. I am confident there are people that have been hospitalized with anaphylaxis that had no idea what happened to them, and neither did the physician.”…