Symptoms may include, swollen red skin on the neck area. The boil may be a hard and reddish bump in the initial stages. It will be painful and tender to touch as it grows, and pus may start showing in the boil. In severe cases, there may be excess swelling, pain and redness, and there may be more than one boil in the neck area. Fever and swelling of the lymph nodes is also a serious symptom.