Overview

• Asian needle ants (Brachyponera chinensis) have been confirmed in at least 20 states from the Northeast and Southeast to Texas, Wisconsin and Washington after first appearing in the U.S. in 1932.
• Victims of these stings have experienced symptoms ranging from hives and low blood pressure to anaphylaxis, with several hospitalizations reported this spring.
• The small, shiny dark brown ants nest in hidden hardwood habitats such as logs, landscape timbers and leaf litter, lack visible foraging trails and remain active from March through peak months of July and August.
• Protective measures include wearing thick gloves when handling yard debris and removing or fragmenting potential nesting materials, since over-the-counter treatments are ineffective.
• Experts caution that the invasive ants outcompete native species vital to seed dispersal, threatening long-term health and regeneration of forest understories.