strike that

toxic alkaloid venomtastic

I am supposed to be working and planning but instead I am reading about fire ants, the little fuckers that sent me to the emergency room. This is what I have learned from Wikipedia:

Solenopsis often attacks small animals and can kill them. Unlike many other ants, which bite and then spray formic acid on the wound, fire ants only bite to get a grip and then sting (from the abdomen) and inject a toxic alkaloid venom. For humans, this is a painful sting — hence the name fire ant — and the aftereffects of the sting can be deadly to sensitive individuals. The venom is both insecticidal and antibiotic.

Fun! Also:

Some people are sensitive to the venom and experience anaphylaxis, which requires emergency treatment. Signs of anaphylaxis can include dizziness, nausea, sweating, low blood pressure, headache, and shortness of breath.

So I guess there are now two things on my list of allergies.

posted by tortaluga @ 10:13 AM