(dramatic orchestra chord)
- I'm about to enter the sting zone with the bullet ant.
(soft electronic thrilling) (heart beating softly)
(Mark exhales audibly)
(dramatic orchestra chord)
Ah!
(Mark exhales audibly)
I'm about to enter the bite zone with the leafcutter ant.
(soft electronic thrilling) (heart beating softly)
(flesh squelching softly) Ahhh.
Here we are in the jungles of Costa Rica
for the ultimate showdown
between the two most painful ants in the world.
We've got the bite of the leafcutter ant
verus the sting of the bullet ant.
And I'm here to determine
which of these two is the true king of pain.
Ah!
(Mark groans in pain)
(dramatic orchestra music)
Ah!
Ahhh!
Before we start our face-off,
we have to track down our contenders.
First up are the leafcutters,
which are famous for slicing up plants
and marching the pieces back to their nest.
These worker ants carrying the leaves are incredibly strong,
capable of lifting 20 times their own weight.
They harvest these parts to use as compost
that grows a fungus to feed the entire colony,
including their defenders, called soldier ants.
Leafcutter soldiers have no stinger at all
but instead use their massively oversized jaws
like butcher knives (knife sluices softly)
to slice through anything standing in their way,
including human flesh.
I have personally witnessed a single soldier
saw through skin to the bone in just a matter of seconds,
and that is why it will be our first contender.
To find them, all we have to do
is follow this trail of ants
back to their underground lair.
Here we go, this is it.
This is the entry point to the nest.
You can see the leaves are disappearing here.
Up in this clearing, there's going to be other entry points.
That's where the soldiers are gonna be waiting to ambush.
Oh, yeah, I see multiple entry points.
All right, we wanna be very gentle with our steps
around these openings,
because as soon as we disturb this area with vibrations,
these ants are gonna swarm us.
These colonies can span 100 feet in diameter underground.
So that's pretty much all of the visible area
here in this clearing.
There are millions of ants below our feet right now,
including those dominant soldier ants.
These are the biggest and baddest ants
that you could imagine.
All right, guys, get ready.
(boots stomps loudly)
So this is same as knocking on the door,
and trust me, you are not welcome.
Oh, here they come right here, look at that.
Giant soldiers.
If you don't pay attention, they will be all over your body.
We're here to collect five soldier ants for the bite test.
All right, there's one.
Okay, we got one.
We are getting absolutely swarmed by these ants.
Look at them covering my boots.
All right. - They're covering.
- I know you guys, you guys watch yourselves,
stand back a little bit.
They come outta the hole with their mandibles open.
ready for pain.
I got three.
- [Andrew] They're all over your boots.
Ah, ah, oh gosh, he's already got me.
- Four. - Oh.
Ah, one just got my back.
They're already up my legs.
Ah, (Mark grunts in pain)
God, he got me.
(Mark groans in pain)
Okay, how many we have?
I got five, right?
Let's get outta here, let's get outta here, come on.
Ah, I got one on my back.
Gah!
Ah, he sliced my back.
All right, seriously.
Oh, you got 'em all over.
You guys got 'em all over your boots.
- [Andrew] Oh, Matt, one just crawled in your pocket.
One just crawled in your pocket.
- [Matt] Ah.
Oh Mark there's one your shoulder.
- Ah, he's biting me.
Look at that.
(Mark groans softly)
Gah!
Yes, they could definitely bite through your clothes.
(sighs) There is no negotiating with these ants.
They only mean to seek and destroy.
It's time for round one.
Let's go to the bite table
(bell dings loudly) and get this action started.
(air rumbling loudly)
All right, welcome to the bite table.
Here we have in our jar five soldier leafcutter ants
and oh, boy, are they angry.
Let's get a closer look
at the business end of one of these soldiers.
(exhales) Man, these ants just make you nervous.
They are so incredibly strong.
Let's take a closer look.
Andrew, you got a good shot?
It's like having a pair of garden shears on your face.
They are razor sharp.
We're going to attempt to recreate a swarm
of ants on the top of my hand
and then see if I can withstand their bites for 60 seconds.
Please do not attempt to recreate what you're about to see.
Matt, let's put 60 seconds on the clock.
- [Matt] 60 seconds.
- All right, here we go.
I'm Mark Vins, and I'm about to enter the bite zone
with the leafcutter ant.
Here we go, on three.
One.
(soft electronic thrilling)
Two.
(dramatic drum music)
Three.
Ah, yeah, that one's got me.
(Mark groans in pain)
All right, they're all in, start the clock.
- [Matt] 60 seconds starting now.
- Ah!
Ah!
Oh, they're breaking the skin.
Ah!
(flesh squelching softly) (Mark groans in pain)
Man, that hurts.
Ah!
Ahhh!
(Mark groans in pain)
Ah, ah!
Oh, that kills.
Ah, what's the time?
What's The time?
- [Matt] 30 seconds left.
- Ah, they're just annihilating my skin.
Just popping holes.
Ah!
(Mark groans in pain)
It's like razor pinches.
Ah!
They're just like splicing through my skin like butter.
Ah, gimme a countdown, it's gotta be close.
- [Matt] 10 seconds left.
- All right, 10. - Nine.
Eight, seven, six- (Mark screams loudly)
Five, four, don't move your hand.
Three, two, one.
Ah, get 'em off, get 'em off, get 'em off.
(Mark groans in pain)
Gah, they won't come off.
Ah.
Ah, they just bite harder.
Ugh, get off me.
Ah.
Ugh (Mark groans in pain).
(Mark exclaims loudly)
Ah!
(tense synth music)
(Mark groans in pain)
Oh, that was so bad, that was so bad.
Ah.
Ahhh.
So many bites.
That was so much more intense than I thought.
I thought there was no possible way
that a leafcutter ant bite
could even come close to comparing, but I don't know.
Bullet ant sting is up next.
But that's the most uncomfortable thing
I have ever experienced.
The sheer willpower to just like look away
and let that happen.
I hope you guys got good shots
because I never want to go through that ever again.
All right, let's let these ants go and get back on the hunt.
Even with fresh wounds on my hand,
there was no time for a break.
My turn to face, the sting of the bullet had arrived.
Bullet ants are one of the largest ants in the world
and are legendary for having the most painful sting
in the insect kingdom.
Rating above cow killers, tarantula hawks,
and the infamous murder hornet.
It has also earned itself the nickname the 24-hour ant
because the excruciating pain from a single sting
can last an entire day.
(dramatic percussive music)
Let's let these ants back off into their nest.
There you go.
Round one of the most painful ant showdown is in the books.
I've got some battle wounds to show for it.
Now it's time for round two, the sting of the bullet ant.
I've got some good news and bad news.
The bad news is, for me, this is definitely gonna happen.
The good news is we don't have to go very far
to find our bullet ant.
Literally on top of the leafcutter ant colony,
there is a bullet ant nest right here at this tree.
I have never seen this before.
All I have to do, give a little knock on the door.
Check this out.
Oh, here they come.
Can you get your microphone close?
Hear them making their battle cry.
(ants hissing softly)
Oh, they're angry.
We just need one ant.
Here we go, oh, we got two on there.
Oh, let's see if we can get one to climb off in it.
All right, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
(Mark blows air frantically)
Oh, geez, that was close.
All right, we got an ant.
And just like that, we are ready for route two.
(bell dings loudly)
(air rumbling loudly)
(Mark exhales audibly)
The time has come for the second contender.
Those leafcutter ants meant business,
but those are flesh wounds.
This is venom.
Let's get the bullet ant outta the jar
so we can get a closer look
at exactly what we're dealing with here.
All right, I'm just gonna let it crawl onto the table.
(dramatic orchestra chord)
(dramatic orchestra music)
Got it.
Oh, man, my heart is definitely racing
a million miles a second right now.
(exhales) These ants are not to be taken lightly.
Some ants just bite, but some ants sting.
And this is the king of sting.
Ah!
Did you see that?
Jumped right off the forceps, let me grab it again.
Be good, be good.
Okay, got a better grip that time.
(Mark exhales audibly)
Whoa, oh, man, okay.
- [Matt] He looks angry.
- Very angry.
The poneratoxin in this ant's stinger
is ranked number one on Dr. Schmitt's sting index.
And I'm not just gonna take one sting today.
I'm about to take it on for 60 seconds.
Oh man, this is gonna be,
(sucks in air) this is gonna be painful.
Please, do not attempt to try this at home.
60 seconds on the clock.
Here we go.
Camera's rolling.
Camera's rolling. (air rumbles softly)
I'm Mark Vins, and I'm about to enter the sting zone
for 60 seconds with the bullet ant.
On three.
One.
(dramatic orchestra music) (Mark exhales audibly)
Two.
(dramatic orchestra music)
Three.
Ah!
Oh.
You see the stinger going in?
Oh, you got that shot?
Oh, ahhh.
Oh, oh, oh that hurts.
Oh, the stinger is still in me.
Ah!
(Mark groans in pain)
(buzzer blares softly)
(Mark groans in pain)
- [Matt] Mark, we gotta stop the clock
every time you take it-
- All right, oh, man, that just, it really burns.
- [Matt] You have to hold it on there for a whole minute.
(bell dings softly)
- Oh, oh, yeah.
You can see the stinger going in the skin.
You see that?
Oh, man.
And he's just like working it again.
Ooh.
Oh my gosh.
(Mark groans in pain)
- [Matt] 30 seconds.
Ah!
Ooh.
Ah, the stingers in there just pumping me full of venom.
- [Andrew] Mark, are you okay?
- Ah, ah, no.
Ah, it's hot.
Ah, ah!
Oh yeah, you see a sticker going in and out.
Ah, it's getting me again.
Ah!
What's the time, what's the time, what's the time?
Ah!
- [Matt] 10, nine, eight,
seven, six, (Mark groans in pain)
five, four, (Mark sputters softly)
three, two, one.
Time. Ah!
Oh, I'm bleeding where the stinger was in.
You guys see that?
Oh.
Dude, I'm telling you what that is searing pain.
My arm is on fire right now.
(glass clinks softly)
(Mark groans in pain)
(forceps clatter softly)
- [Andrew] Describe the pain.
It's hot.
It's hot, it's pulsating, it's electric.
My skin is just like rippling with pain.
You can see that it drew blood.
The stinger was in the skin just pumping me full of venom.
Did you see it pull out there at the end?
That was insane.
They say it's like being shot by a bullet.
This pain is rumored to last for like 24 hours.
The sting is getting worse by the second.
- [Andrew] So which one's worse?
- The acute pain of those leafcutter ant jaws really hurt.
This is different though.
This is getting worse.
Like you could see the redness
is starting to really flare up.
Like look at all the capillaries dilating there.
Wow.
In terms of the showdown, I don't know.
What do you guys think?
What what'd you think was worse?
- [Matt] Just based on your pain reaction and the bites,
(Mark screams in pain)
I think leafcutter ant.
- I mean, this was no walk in the park.
This did not feel good for a second.
But those leafcutter ants,
that is something I never ever want
to go through ever again if I can help it.
All right, guys, it's getting dark.
Let's release the ant and head back to camp.
As we made our way back to the nest
to release the bullet ant,
the swelling and searing pain increased dramatically.
And I was starting to think that I declared the winner
of this ant face versus ant face-off far too soon.
All night long, my arm was riddled in bone crushing pain.
And it took everything I had to hold back
from screaming out in agony.
I maybe got like two hours of sleep last night, guys.
This bullet ant sting just kept me up all night long.
For what it's worth, I feel my experience
has proved the rumors true.
The pain became much more intense before getting any better.
And the visual swelling and itching alone were shocking.
It took multiple days for all of my symptoms to subside.
And if it were up to me,
I'd rename the species the 48-hour ant.
So I had to do the right thing and return to the table.
(Mark inhales audibly)
(tool clunks softly)
Well, I, for one, am never too proud
to admit when I am wrong.
And in terms of yesterday's verdict
as to which was worse, I was wrong.
Look at my arm, guys.
I am in so much pain right now.
And look at this.
The redness extends all the way from my wrist to my,
almost my elbow.
It truly feels like a broken bone.
- [Matt] Wait, wait, Mark.
So are you changing the winner from yesterday?
- Pfft, no question, no question.
I have never felt pain like this from a sting.
This is the worst thing I have ever experienced in my life.
The bullet ant is the true king of pain of this rainforest.
This was my first brush with the bullet ant,
but it will be far from my last.
Our experiment today was more
than just a head-to-head comparison.
It was also training.
Soon I'll be heading deep into the Amazon
to attempt the legendary bullet ant glove challenge
where I'll place my hands into gloves
filled with hundreds of angry bullet ants
that could sting me thousands of times.
Should I continue forward in this next mission?
Tell us what you think in the comments.
I'm Mark Vins.
Be brave.
Stay wild.
We'll see in the Amazon.
(dramatic valiant music)
(soft sonorous chime music)