to break down the venom. Then see a doctor for 

 an antibiotic to ward off infection. 



Treat puncture wounds from sea urchins and 

 fish spines in the same way, Cheesborough says. 



Other water hazards include a variety of skin 

 conditions that may come from the water, 

 Cheesborough says. They may be caused by 

 crab larvae, seaweeds and some algaes, he says. 

 These can usually be treated with calamine lo- 

 tion, creams and antihistamines. 



The bottom line, Cheesborough says, is not to 

 let a minor sting ruin your vacation. If it threatens 

 to, see a doctor. 



Ground Assault 



BY SARAH FRIDA Y 



"He followed me home. Can I keep him?" 

 pleads a wide-eyed little ant with a furry friend in 

 a popular cartoon. 



The even wider-eyed parents say nothing as 



they look up in horror at the pet trailing their inno- 

 cent son. 

 It's an anteater. 



Gary Larson's Far Side funnies have done 

 wonders for the public's image of the common 

 bug. 



But when it comes to the real thing, most 

 beachgoers don't think any insect is a laughing 

 matter. 



They cringe at the thought of roaches in their 

 cottages, or fire ants crawling up their legs. They 

 shiver at chiggers and twitch at ticks. 



But like a picnic without ants, what would a 

 beach trip in the summer be without bugs? They 

 are part of it, invited or not. 



Besides the pests that fly through the air and 

 swim in the sea, the ones that crawl in the ground 

 make trouble, too. 



Ask Ray Harris of Morehead City. 



As director of Carteret County's Agricultural Ex- 

 tension Service and an area pest expert, Harris 

 has spent years helping people stomp out their 

 bug problems. 



The job isn't easy, Harris says, especially with 

 fire ants. 



The small, reddish brown ants seem to be 

 everywhere, he says. They build their mounds on 

 the beach, along the road, in the woods or 

 wherever they please. 



You can usually recognize the mounds be- 

 cause they're large and made of dirt. Some are 

 up to 3 feet tall. 



To be sure the mound is for fire ants, stomp 

 your feet nearby, suggests Clayton Feltman of the 

 New Hanover County Health Department. "If you 

 see a multitude of them coming out, the best 

 thing to do is just stay away from them." 



"If you step on a mound," Harris says, "they'll 

 start climbing up your leg. If you stick a stick in 

 the mound, they'll start climbing up the stick." 



Fire ants are aggressive. And they bite. Most 

 people say the bite is like a bee sting, but with a 

 fiery pain. 



Reactions vary. Usually a bright red welt forms 

 that itches and burns, Harris says. But some peo- 

 ple may have an allergic reaction and need to see 

 a doctor. 



Harris recommends soothing the pain with a 

 meat tenderizer. Others suggest ice and an 

 antiseptic. 



