Published 16 September 2025
Text on screen: Fire ants can have devastating impacts on our health, environment, economy, and outdoor way of life.
Text on screen: We spoke with local residents, Subha and Alina, about their experiences with fire ants and why a fire ant-free Australia is important to them. This is their story...
Subha: Took out the bin and unfortunately, I just stepped in their house and I told her, “I've been bitten from the fire ants again.” I feel itchiness all over
Alina: and we've noticed that it's all over the body. It's all over the body, all the big, big rashes. He never had those rashes before. And then
Subha: Never in my entire life
Alina: after maybe 20 minutes, he said he was feeling numb over the face. He lost his consciousness like 4 or 5 times, and they gave a steroid injection and then took him to the hospital.
Subha: If there wasn't any ambulance, if the ambulance wasn't there
Alina: or if I didn't wake up due to that sound or something like that, then I don't know what would have happened to him.
Subha: She even thought, “Maybe we need to move from here.” You know, for me
Alina: It's his life. And then the next time, we don't know what the reaction can be. I am very scared now because a doctor told us that if he is bitten again, the symptoms can be 10 times worse than what he had this time. I didn't know that the fire ant would be that bad. If I knew how bad this is, I could have prevented him from this incident.
Subha: Just be aware of fire ants. You never know when you will have that reaction, and as soon as you have that kind of reaction, just call an ambo and, yeah, be safe. Take care. You don't want to get that one in your life. Trust me.
Alina: And then don't ignore it if you’re bitten the first time and nothing happens. Don't ignore it because the second time, the reaction can be bad, and the third time it's way worse because that antigen stays in your body. And then it just keeps adding on antigen, and then your immune system reacts to that. I don't want that to happen to other people and see that incident. I don't want to feel that incident. I don't want to see that incident again happening to my family or another family. I don't want that.
Text on screen: If left untreated, fire ants could cause 6 deaths and over 116,000 medical visits in Queensland annually. Source: The Australia Institute 2024
Text on screen: Our fight against fire ants is about protecting our health, our homes, and our future. Don’t ignore fire ants.
For Subha and Alina, fire ants were just an occasional annoyance – until a frightening encounter turned their world upside down, leaving Subha reliant on an EpiPen.
He had already been stung twice in his front yard, but it was the third sting, while taking out the rubbish bins, that changed everything.
“I came into the house and told Alina that I’d been bitten again. Soon, I felt itchy all over,” he recalls.
Within minutes, a rash spread across his body, and he began feeling numbness in his face and lost consciousness 4 or 5 times.
"The ambulance arrived just in time. They gave him a steroid injection and rushed him to the hospital. If they hadn’t come... I don’t even want to think about it,” Alina says.
Now, Subha carries an EpiPen wherever he goes. “You don’t want an EpiPen in your life, trust me," he warns.
The fear of another sting is constant, and Alina knows the stakes are even higher now. "The doctor told us that if he’s bitten again, the reaction could be 10 times worse. I didn’t know fire ants could be this dangerous. If I had, I would have done everything to prevent this," Alina says.
Fire ants don’t just pose a health risk – they can change the way we live. Walking barefoot in the yard, letting pets or kids play outside without checking first, and even simple family barbecues all become risks.
For families like Subha and Alina’s, fire ants have turned everyday routines into constant caution.
Alina urges others not to underestimate fire ants. “Don’t ignore a fire ant sting just because nothing happens the first time. The reaction can be worse the second time, and even more severe the third time because the antigens stay in your body and build up. Each sting adds more antigens, increasing the risk of a dangerous immune response."
Their experience has made them reconsider where they live. "We might have to move. It’s his life, and we don’t know what will happen if he’s bitten again," Alina says.
Fire ant stings aren’t just painful – they can be fatal. Severe allergic reactions can cause hives, swelling of the face, chest pain, nausea, difficulty breathing, or even unconsciousness.
If you or someone you know experiences these symptoms, follow fire ant first aid and call an ambulance immediately.
"I don’t want anyone else to go through what we did. Please, be aware of fire ants. Protect yourself and your family before it’s too late," Alina says.
Subha and Alina’s story is a stark reminder of just how dangerous fire ants can be.
They not only pose serious health risks but have the potential to change lives forever.
We can’t ignore fire ants. Learn how to look for and report fire ants.