Inquiries and consultations about fire ants

Fire ants, which have highly toxic stingers and are designated as specific alien species, have been confirmed in Japan. If you find something that looks like a fire ant, put your hand out and be careful not to be bitten or stung. In particular, do not touch the stinger with bare hands, as its effects remain even if it is dead.

As a symptom that appears in all people, at the moment of being stung, you feel a sharp pain that feels hot, a small redness appears at the stung site, and the next day pus appears in the center of the redness. After that, the skin symptoms gradually improved.
However, people who are allergic to fire ant venom may experience allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock) such as hives, difficulty breathing, decreased blood pressure, and disturbed consciousness.
If you feel unwell or feel unwell, please consult a medical institution immediately.

Please refer to the following for detailed characteristics of fire ants, precautions, and what to do if you find them or are stung.

The Ministry of the Environment has established a fire ant consultation hotline and a consultation desk using a chatbot (automatic conversation program).

• Fire ant consultation dial (Ministry of the Environment HP) (link to an external site)

　Phone number: 0570-046-110
(For IP phones: 06-7634-7300)
Reception day: Every day including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (except December 29th to January 3rd)
Reception hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• "Fire ant consultation chatbot of ally" (Ministry of the Environment HP) (link to the outside site)

　　Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We will answer questions about the ecology of fire ants, how to identify them, and how to deal with them.

For more information on fire ants, please visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of the Environment website.

• take care! Dangerous alien species (Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Environment HP) (link to an external site)