Well, we have discovered the fire ants. Both boys were bitten on Saturday—Will several times on his foot and hand and Joseph on his hand. It seems that they are all over the place around here and soon we will better be able to know where they are and avoid them!!! They are smallish brown ants with their hind body section slightly larger than a regular ant. Sometimes they have traditional ant “mounds,” other times you can just tell that the soil has been disturbed and they have tunneled underground.

Will is very allergic to them and developed huge welts from the bites. He has always reacted strongly to bug bites. I didn’t even realize what he had gotten into at first and thought he had scrapped his heel while climbing. It was only after a few seconds when his cries intensified that I realized he was being bitten and rushed to sweep the ants off.

Joe worked yesterday to spread poison on 3 mounds, but we found 3 more this morning and now that I am learning more what they look like, I realize that they are everywhere. The boys will have to learn to be wary of them!