THURSDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) -- The best protection against fire ant attacks is afforded not by insect repellants or other chemicals but by ordinary socks, according to a study published in the October issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunlogy. The red imported fire ant is a serious pest in some areas, and in one study, the insect was responsible for 42% of visits to a venom clinic.
Jerome Goddard, Ph.D., of the Mississippi Department of Health, conducted a study to quantify the level of protection offered by socks, cotton tights and chemical repellents.
Infant socks were tested on a doll's foot and socks and cotton tights were tested by stretching over a human finger before being placed on fire ant mounds. All types of socks tested cut down the number of fire ants that reached the skin and ants were unable to sting skin through the socks. Chemical substances tested on paper towels and human skin failed to repel the ants.
"Regardless of sock type or thickness, fire ants were apparently unable to sting through socks, even thin cotton tights," the report indicates. "Wearing socks gives the child or caregiver a few extra seconds to see and possibly remove attacking ants," the author adds. "Unfortunately, attacking fire ants are not deterred by a wide variety of insect repellents and other chemical substances."
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