Beware of the dreaded red velvet 'cow killer' ant in East Texas

[Winger Ed.]

They're not really ants.
They're a ground dwelling wasp that when it stings ya-- you think you've been shot.

Last Sat. since the lake is down a few feet in this heat wave, I was down at the dock shoveling
the settled out silt that accumulates under the boat.
Mrs. Winger was trying out a new cookie recipe, and came out to call me that they were done.

We have plenty of the red velvet ants here, and worry about one stinging the dogs. It could kill them.
She saw one and went to stomp it..... Big mistake.
She missed the ant, but got off balance and fell hard enough that it really hurt.

Even with and after a large amount of screaming and yelling:
We couldn't get her in the Explorer, so after the ambulance ride, and a few hours at the emergency room-
It was determined she broke her wrist in two places, as well as her shin bone has a couple of cracks up at the top.

But there is good news!
Neither will need surgery, and in only about eight weeks, she can use crutches and get out of the wheel chair.
We'll be able to see this through, but it sure does put a damper on my range time.:bigsmyl2:

[ShooterAZ]

Wishing Mrs. Winger a speedy and full recovery! We have Velvet ants here too, I never heard of anyone getting stung by one although I'm sure it's possible. We also have Tarantula Hawks here, you don't want to get stung by one of those!

[Texas by God]

Wishing the missus a swift recovery. You don't want to be anywhere near my wife when she sees a scorpion; all hell breaks loose!
Collateral damage is a real concern!
The tarantula hawks and cow killers are two of the only stinging/ biting things here that I've managed to avoid. So far.

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[Baltimoreed]

Also wish her a swift recovery. My wife broke/tore the heel bone where her Achilles’ tendon attached and it took 4 casts to get het foot operational again. Each cast would change the angle a little. We have those cow killers in eastern NC. They’re a wingless wasp. I used to see them at the plant where I worked. They liked being under the concrete but would occasionally appear. I don’t think you could stomp one in the dirt but you can on concrete.

[Cargo]

I hope Mrs. Winger has a speedy and uneventful recovery.

I've been hit by "velvet ants" twice in my life and that was two times too many!! We've seen a few out rambling around this summer but managed to avoid them. I've found the best way to kill them is to cut them into three pieces and then set them on fire.

[WRideout]

Prayers for a swift recovery.

Wayne

[725]

That's awful. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[HWooldridge]

We have velvet wasps (ants) and scorpions here. I leave the “ants” alone - figure they are busy chasing spiders. My wife hates scorpions, calls them “********” regardless of who is around, could be the preacher or the grandkids - she doesn’t care. I’ve been stung many times by scorpions but feels like a bee sting to me. I hate the big red paper wasps that make nests down low - they are hard to see and their stings hurt like hell.

[dverna]

Sorry to hear that..prayers for you both.

[shortlegs]

Prayers for the Mrs swift and full recovery. Prayers for you too! you will have your hands full with wifely duties for a while. I hope you can cook!

[Winger Ed.]

I hope you can cook!

Oh yeah, one of my favorite jobs was as a cook in High School.
I've pretty much always done most of the more fancy cooking around here,
and have been experimenting with different bread recipes over the last year or two.

[Winger Ed.]

Thanks everybody.

Your support means, and really does help a lot.

[Finster101]

Wishing her a swift recovery, for both you and her. None of those here that I know of. Fire ants and the Florida State Bird (mosquitos) are enough for me to deal with.

[Milky Duck]

get into the comfry tea...the old timers called it "knitbone" for good reason...... some folks will use as a poltice too...I just pick a few leaf tips and chuck in my mug with some hot water...its very like a plain green tea...tastes better to me LOL.
Best of luck with quick recovery. you know there is fly spray in a can in the shops??? hard hold hair spray works EVEN BETTER.... glues the little suckers in place and suffocates them.quicker death than fly spray alone.....DO NOT use cigarette lighter and make into flame thrower...it may seem like a good idea,and seem like a lot of fun...but net curtains ignite really fast...dont ask how I know this LOL.
we have whitetailed spiders here now ,and they get the spray treatment then flushed down the porcelain expressway.

[alfadan]

Its hard to stomp them even on concrete. Definitely get a loud pop when you do though.

Just like every other bug, brakeclean kills em.

[45workhorse]

Speedy recovery, for Mrs. Winger Ed

[DougGuy]

You'll have to drum up some cookie recipes pronto!!

Regarding the cow killer. I was about 4yrs old and encountered one on my Grandma's front porch, and for grins I laid one of those solid, no holes "Queen Anne" bricks on the "ant" and to my surprise, the brick moved! The ant was strong enough to move the brick trying to crawl out from under it I guess, and that really blew my mind, than an ANT could move a BRICK!!!

I picked up the brick to see this amazing creature who pulled off such an unthinkable act, and I reached down and picked it up (Oh c'mon man, you didn't did you? You're joking me right? Right?) and that bad boy lit into the side of my thumb and it felt like he set it on fire! VERY painful sting, yellow jacket ain't got NOTHING on these things! The ant, when I got loose of it, walked away unhurt. That was a lesson I have never forgotten...

[Winger Ed.]

that bad boy lit into the side of my thumb and it felt like he set it on fire! VERY painful sting, yellow jacket ain't got NOTHING on these things!

I was reading somewhere they have the longest stinger of all the wasps, and maybe hornets.
That way, the venom gets way on in there where it'll hurt the most.

[Land Owner]

Prayers for Mrs. Winger's speedy recovery. This may be a good time to consider a revolver and 22 cal. shot shells, so she can stand back a ways and dispatch them "with authority" or at least have some fun trying.

[Thundarstick]

Praying for Ms Wingers recovery.

We leave them be. As a kid we use to play with them and they do have a stinger that's so long you wonder where they keep it! I think they are a creature of beauty!

Do y'all have the small version as well?

[GregLaROCHE]

I wish your wife a speedy recovery. We can’t forget that the older we get, the more brittle we become.

[georgerkahn]

Prayers for your wife AND for you! It may be challenge now and then in the weeks coming, and I hope all recovery will be swift and uneventful. My mom had a similar fall, "tripping" on a flat footpath, but managed to also hit her head against a brick step. Having lost consciousness for a few minutes, when she came to she was totally, 100% deaf in her left ear! with status at such for the decade or so until she passed. (A fall, similarly (albeit he was drunk at the time) is attributed to being the cause of Ludwig Van Beethoven's deafness, too!) You might share with your wife the TWO 'good' things: She WILL recover 100% from her fall; and, she has :) you!!!
geo

[MrWolf]

Wow. Prayers for your wife that really stinks. Glad you are the cook. I am just starting out making white bread and just ok so far. Much better at stove top pudding which shows my skill set.

[Wayne Smith]

Prayers for you and your wife. We have had similar experiences as a result of operations recently. We both cook, clean, do laundry, shop, etc. and we taught the boys to do the same. This way we can each go it alone or handle it for both of us and have done so. 47 years together so far.

[bedbugbilly]

Prayers and kind thoughts your way for her to have a speedy recovery - no fun when things like that happen. You both take care of yourselves.

[Winger Ed.]

Do y'all have the small version as well?

I'm not sure which is which.

I've seen and killed--- No,,,, I shouldn't say that.... I've harvested 6-7 and they're all about 3/4" long.

[T-Bird]

Prayers for your wife's recovery and your eventual return to the range!:smile: This reminds me of what we were told in school, that people are injured as much by the heart attack they have when they are bitten by a snake, as by the snakebite. We have cow killers here and there are several species (sizes). Never known anyone stung by one but I never wanted to be.

[Winger Ed.]

when she came to she was totally, 100% deaf in her left ear! with status at such for the decade or so until she passed. (A fall, similarly (albeit he was drunk at the time) is attributed to being the cause of Ludwig Van Beethoven's deafness, too!)

I sure believe and relate to that.,
As a kid-- 4-maybe 5, I got hit on the head and had a concussion. I've been 100% (nerve) deaf in my left ear ever since.
It's a injury that there is no fixing. Your ear becomes like a microphone that had its wire to the amplifier cut.

[scattershot]

Hope she recovers quickly. How were the cookies?

[Bazoo]

Prayers for y’all.

We have cow killers here too. I stomp every one I see. My mom was stung by one and says it hurts like sin.

[Winger Ed.]

How were the cookies?

Not so good.
They were almost done, but still in the oven when she fell.
It took awhile to get her up, then sort of guesstimate what the damage was, and get to the emergency room.

I shut off the oven on the way out to try & get her in the car, but by then,,,, they were gone-ners.

[scattershot]

Hope she will be OK.

[Texas by God]

This dry summer has had more of the cowkillers around than many years past. Lots of ant lions, as well.

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[Electrod47]

This is truly terrible WingerEd. Some awful things can happen "at home", doing routine stuff, to folks that just don't deserve it. I hope the day comes soon when all's well.

[Winger Ed.]

Some awful things can happen "at home",

We went to the bone Doctor/Surgeon a couple days after the accident, and he made the comment that the most common cause
of the broken bones he has come in and out of his practice is from people tripping on, or being knocked over by their dog.

A patient breaking a leg and wrist over a ground wasp was a first for him.

[Bmi48219]

Amazing how easy it is to break a bone when you’ve hit retirement age. Good that you have each other when something happens.
BTW, like mosquitoes, only female ‘red velvet ants’ have stingers.

[Thundarstick]

Amazing how easy it is to break a bone when you’ve hit retirement age. Good that you have each other when something happens.
BTW, like mosquitoes, only female ‘red velvet ants’ have stingers.

I've never tested that hypothesis!

[popper]

Speedy healing for her.

[Mal Paso]

We have them here from time to time. A neighbor shot a video of 2 wasps fighting, it was intense.

Gotta watch everything now, doesn't take much for the ground to come up and smack you.

[Kosh75287]

A pity that the hellish little bug has a Texas Tech red/black color scheme. Wish I knew how to upload an image to this forum...

[lightman]

I'm glad She was not injured more seriously. Prayers for a speedy recovery.

[Winger Ed.]

I'm glad She was not injured more seriously. Prayers for a speedy recovery.

Well, she's usually pretty scrappy, but she's hurt bad enough I think I can take her now.
I have reach, but she's always been quicker.:bigsmyl2:

[45workhorse]

Well, she's usually pretty scrappy, but she's hurt bad enough I think I can take her now.
I have reach, but she's always been quicker.:bigsmyl2:

Easy now, we don't need both of you hurt!

[rockrat]

Glad she is doing better.

Now I know what might have bit/stung me many a decade ago. Was at a farm auction and noticed something not far from my foot, big and reddish in color. Auctioneer got started again and so I turned my head to watch. About a minute later, on the inside of my right knee I felt something like a knife stick. Grabbed my jeans and felt something under the material at the knee and grabbed it and applied pressure. Hard. Felt some thing "pop" and shook it out of my pants leg. Didn't see what came out,cause I was too focused on the hurt.

[gbrown]

I hope Mrs. Winger-Ed has a quick recovery. I got hit by one while working on a pipeline in East Texas. On the left arm. It felt much worse than a wasp. A shooting pain down it and then numbness in the hand for about 30 minutes. Stay away from those puppies.

[45DUDE]

I have seen them since grade school. I'm 77 and seen maybe 6 or 7 today. I don't kill them. If they don't bother me I don't bother them. They look like a jacked up hot rod and always by themselves.

[Thundarstick]

Isn't it cool how nearly anything dangerous is dressed in daylight hunter orange!

[georgerkahn]

I sure believe and relate to that.,
As a kid-- 4-maybe 5, I got hit on the head and had a concussion. I've been 100% (nerve) deaf in my left ear ever since.
It's a injury that there is no fixing. Your ear becomes like a microphone that had its wire to the amplifier cut.

My parents, residing not too distant from New York City, engaged several top-notch otolaryngologists and neurotologists shortly after her fall, all to no avail. One specialist did say, however, that "there have been people who will -- even after several years -- wake up again, hearing!". 'Twas not the case with my mater, but my prayers, too, now include you!
From (so I 'blame it' ;)) being the piano player in a band for years -- sandwiched between the electric bass to my left, and the drumset to my right, the level of hearing in my left year is ever so greatly reduced than the right. This creates a whole different realm of challenges -- someone will yell, "Hey Geo" and I'll look in a totally different direction from where they are...
BEST to you and you wife!
geo

[Ohio Rusty]

I hope all goes perfectly with your better half's recovery. Maybe she can help you at the reloading bench with the good arm ?? I guess you'll need to take over for a while making cookies. Prayers sent her way ....
Ohio Rusty ><>

[Rapier]

Being red-orange and birds do not touch them. That tells you all you really need to know. But the venom in the sting stops the blood and causes a large white welp with a large red hole in the middle. I pushed on one by accident while wearing a lether glove, it stung me right through the glove. It got me a good lick. I leave them alone. We have a tree farm and they are all over the place.
I tell visitors, do not pick up the red furry ant. Of course the grandson that gets into trouble regularly, comes into the house screaming holding his hand. Let me see your hand, one finger is white with the hole in the middle. Mom goes ballistic, just hang on, lets get some ice, it will ease off, in a bit, but it will hurt bad for a while. Bet he will not pick up another one.

[Bmi48219]

I've never tested that hypothesis!

From what I’ve read the males have wings, females don’t.

[Winger Ed.]

the level of hearing in my left year is ever so greatly reduced than the right. This creates a whole different realm of challenges -- someone will yell, "Hey Geo" and I'll look in a totally different direction from where they are.


Oh yeah. With total loss in one ear, I still hear more or less fairly well even after being around a lot of jet engines.
But if I hear a sound, I have no clue what direction it came from.
And if there is much back ground noise, I can't pick out lesser sounds from it and conversation gets drowned out.

When I miss things people don't think I should- I remind them that my world is a simple, and rather quiet place.

[Winger Ed.]

Well, we're into week #3.

Mrs. Winger told me that since I was doing so well with helping her with everything-
I should reward myself and buy another gun.

I thought that was pretty cool.

[Rooster]

As a kid I got one of those skewered on a hook. I floated two nice sized fish before that cow killer had had enough and straightened out the barb and threw it back at me on shore. Never got enough nerve up to try and rebait a new hook with one. I decided to stick with the crickets I had brought with me. Seriously though, it did stun/kill a couple before I lost it. Impressed me with their ability.