Watch out: Fire ants lurking in Orlando floodwaters

Although Hurricane Ian is preparing to leave Florida, the catastrophic impact of the storm remains in and around the entire state. 

Between the buildings that were destroyed, the cars that have sunken, it seems as if the threat is gone. But, with the storm surges that bought floodwaters to Florida's coastline as well as the Orlando metro area, there is another threat — really tiny creatures who also evacuated in the midst of Hurricane Ian. Fire ants. 

Fire ants will evacuate their homes and form an "ant boat" where they cling to each other to hold their breath and keep the ant ship afloat. At first glance, the ant ship looks like a pile of dirt or some debris. At a closer glance, the small insects can be seen swarming around each other as they fight to stay afloat. 

Residents in Florida who find themselves walking through floodwaters will want to be careful because if your leg hits this colony of fire ants, thousands may run for higher ground, which to them, may be your leg. 

The ants link their legs together, so they can float to a new dry location where they can rebuild their colony. 

If you do happen to get stung by one of these bad boys, or several of them, you'll have to pull each one off individually. When fire ants feel threatened, they'll sting their predator and hold on with their mandibles for as long as possible. The ants are forced above the ground during hurricanes because they'll drown easily.