The mound of dirt at the foot of this cypress tree is an ant hill. It's not the biggest that I've ever seen, but this hill is large enough to kill an unwary cow, should she stumble into it. Fire ants are quite ferocious, and can inflict painful, scarring bites that will kill a person with an allergic reaction to them. Actually, if enough of them get you, allergies don't matter.

Of course, the best thing is to watch your step and not get into an anthill, but most of us have been caught at one time or another. When this happens, it is socially acceptable to tear off all your clothes and run screaming for the nearest deep water. Even the fear of alligators is not enough to deter a person with his pants full of fire ants.