The progressive spread and increasing colony density of imported fire
ants throughout the southeastern United States will result in increasi
ng numbers of individuals with untoward reactions to the stings of the
se insects. In order to alert physicians that imported fire ant coloni
es may exist within homes and other inhabited dwellings and result in
multiple stings to the occupants and to provide information about the
management of this problem, we report two cases where individuals were
stung indoors by imported fire ants, One of these cases involved the
attack of a bed-bound patient by a colony of ants. The other report do
cuments the establishment of an intact fire ant colony within an inhab
ited dwelling. Physicians should become familiar with the biology of t
hese insects to assist patients in dealing with this problem.