Asian needle ants with a potentially fatal sting have spread across multiple states. Here's what to know

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5. Yikes. It's only 1/4 inch long, making it hard to see. But wait there's more...

Suiter says Asian needle ants are "sneaky" because they are less than a quarter of an inch long and are adept at hiding.
"Unlike many invasive species that tend to colonize areas in the wake of natural or human disturbance, Asian needle ants are capable of invading undisturbed forest areas where they nest under and within logs and other debris, under stones, and in leaf litter," the U.S. Forest Service says.

Environmental impacts
According to Suiter, Asian needle ants wreak havoc in native environments. "They outcompete other ant species that are important to the ecology of that area," he says.

Asian needle ants prey on other insects and are capable of displacing ant species that are critical for seed dispersal, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Researchers have documented large decreases in seed dispersal in forests where Asian needle ants are present.