are red ants bad?

[CiderMonkey]

I was looking under slabs in the garden yesterday and under 2 of them were lots of orangey red ants (normal black ants were under the rest). Are the red ants bad? For some reason I have the impressions they bite or secrete something harmful - but this may just be memories from the playground

[Rabelais]

I guess it depends what you mean by bad, if they are Myrmica rubra yes they have a modified ovipositor through which they inject formic acid.

[spudqueen]

It damnwell hurts when they sting you. Our garden is full of red ants and I can't sit out without being stung sometimes.

[bensmum]

They sting and it hurts as spudqueen says plus once the sting has worn off the site where they stung itches for ages! Having said that I suppose they are only acting in self-defence