You Want No Part of This KY Critter — It’s a ‘Cow Killer’, For Crying Out Loud

I laugh--AND get a little sentimental--when I remember riding horses when we'd visit family out West when I was younger. As recently as my teen years and early 20s (and it's not really THAT recent), I'd look forward to hopping on a horse and going for a ride.

Those days are long gone, but I'll never forget the lessons I learned from my cousins. One of the most important was avoiding fire ants. A single footfall onto one of those massive mounds would sending agonizing pain through the horse's body and it would likely buck me off. Fortunately (I guess), they ARE big enough in New Mexico and were easy to spot and, yes, avoid. We have fire ants in Kentucky, too, but I don't see them nearly as much as I did out there.

Velvet Ants Aren't Really Ants

There is, however, another ant that would be wise to sidestep. We have them here in Kentucky, but I've never seen one, and it wouldn't be hard to spot. I just hope our bovine friends are as vigilant since the ant in question sports the nickname "cow killer."

Get a load of this thing. Oh, and, by the way, it's called a velvet ant but it's really a wasp. (That hardly seems fair.)

Where Are You Most Likely to Encounter Velvet Ants?

Here's the positive side of velvet ants...they are not aggressive and will hightail it out of harm's way at the first sign of trouble. But you might have an accidental encounter as they often find themselves in lawns or pastures (hence the threat to cows), and they might wander into your garage or outbuilding. If you do, however, handle one (not advised) and it's a female, you could be for a very nasty sting.

Oh, and they're called "cow killers" because the pain is said to be so intense it can drop a cow.

Let's not test those waters. What do you think?