Be On The Lookout For A New Invasive Species Of Ant In Indiana This Year

Invasive species are never a welcome sight anywhere. After all, who WOULD be excited upon learning that critters more than capable of thriving in Indiana and, as a result, decimating native flora and fauna, have arrived? Other times, instead of total decimation, they bring threats that did not previously exist to the table, like the likelihood of a severe bite with truly nasty consequences, much like the invasive little beast we're going to cover today. It's a species of invasive red velvet ants in Indiana causing a lot more problems than the ants we're all used to. It's called the Asian Needle Ant, and it's been detected in Evansville this year - which means it will soon be everywhere... if it isn't already.

Indiana is a lovely state without a huge number of dangerous insects.

Sure, we have a few, like brown recluse spiders and "cow-killer" wasps, but even those aren't as creepy-crawly-scary as the Asian Needle Ant. Until this point, we've skated by relatively unscathed, without a lot to fear from the insect community. Unfortunately, that's all about to change.

The needle ant is unique in many ways; firstly, unlike most species of ants, they're more than happy to live in and establish nests inside homes, which places them a lot closer to us than we like to think about.

It's even more damning if the house has termites, as termites are a favorite snack for this tiny terror. That's right, this is the insect that scares the termites that scare you. As far as venomous insects in Indiana go, it's pretty alarming.

The ant poses multiple threats to the unfortunate souls who may happen upon it.

Its sting - not its bite, its sting - is venomous, not to mention intensely, horrifically painful. Its venom is incredibly potent, and you have a much higher risk of having a bad reaction to it than to, say, the average bee sting. And when you can wander upon these ants in your own home rather than just while enjoying the outdoors, it becomes that much more of a threat.

Unlike other ants that decide to invade your kitchen during the summer months, you won't see the Asian Needle Ant munching on crumbs on the floor.

No, these insidious little monsters prefer to hide out of the sight of humans - though they are more than happy to apply several brutal stings to anyone who happens upon them even by accident. You'll definitely want to add this to your list of animals to watch out for in Indiana.

Finally, these little guys are incredibly dangerous to ants and insects native to the Hoosier State.

They can - and will - outcompete other ants for food and resources, and they've been known to take over entire nests, slaughtering the residents before taking control. As we know, introducing an invasive species like this can decimate the natural order of things in any given state. When a new predator wipes out an insect species, it throws everything else out of whack as well.

Indiana is beautiful. Its amazing natural resources and spaces are well worth exploring.

But when you head out, always make sure to wear protective pants and boots. You do NOT want to suffer a sting from an Asian Needle Ant; it will be one of the most painful, unpleasant experiences of your life. Oh... and check your house, too. Everywhere you don't normally touch or attend to is on the menu for the Needle Ant. We're not trying to scare you, but we do want you to be safe!

What do you think? Are you going to keep an eye out for these invasive ants in Indiana? Or maybe you've already seen them! Let us know about any run-ins with these red velvet ants in Indiana in the comments below, we love to hear first-hand accounts from our readers. To learn even more about these itty-bitty terrors, check out this fascinating write-up from North Carolina State. That's right! They're in North Carolina too and spreading rapidly all over the country. At least you know you're not the only one looking out for a new terror.