In general, ants are referred to as dangerous species. Still, they can also benefit the ecosystem because they can be enemies to other harmful pests and help improve soil fertility. 

On the other hand, some species of ants could be dangerous. The sting or bites can cause some allergic reactions in the body. Although many different types of insects could be even more harmful than ants, certain ants have adverse effects on health. You can read more below to get better information about ants’ effects on humans. 

Are ants dangerous to human health? 

On considering experts’ reports, most of the ant species do not pose any risk to human health. At times, it becomes intolerable to have ants in the fields or garden areas, but they are considered beneficial to the environment to a certain extent. 

No doubt, ants can be an outright health hazard as they come neither at the bottom nor at the top of any food chain. Moreover, they have many different weapons which are used either for their attack or in self-defense. Ants have powerful jaws (mandibles), which are effective in many purposes like biting tree leaves or fungi, carrying food items, crushing their prey, or potential predators. So, when an ant bites on a human, it can be harmless, or biting with strong jaws can be painful. 

Certain ant species like red fire ant contain alkaloids that lead to an anaphylactic reaction. It is an allergic reaction with enough potential to cause deadly consequences to the victim. Therefore, in emergencies injection of epinephrine is administered to save the person. 

Most ants have wasp-like stings, which are used to inject venom to predators, while some species spray the venom in the air around their predators. These stings have formic acid, which causes an itching reaction after the sting. When entering the body, formulaic acid can lead to dyspnea, dizziness, and sweating. Moreover, ants can be carriers of other dangerous diseases that can cause food poisonings or diarrhea. These mainly spread through the ingestion of contaminated food and water. 

Ants are not always considered the most dangerous species to the human race as they are perfectly designed for predators or other insects. At times, species like fire or carpenter ants can be harmful or carriers of other diseases.

Call a professional pest control. 

Ants can cause various health effects in the human body. While specific home remedies may work at times, a professional pest control service will help you eliminate the ant infestation from the bottom and ensure that you do not face the problem again.