quasi Report This Comment
Date: August 29, 2012 11:04AM

Yep, seen that happen before.

Onyma Report This Comment
Date: August 29, 2012 03:05PM

I don't know what I'm looking at here... explanation?

fossil_digger Report This Comment
Date: August 29, 2012 03:10PM

ants

BlahX3 Report This Comment
Date: August 29, 2012 03:29PM

They bunch together in a big mass like that so they can float to another location to get out of a flooded ant hill and establish a new home.

quasi Report This Comment
Date: August 29, 2012 03:29PM

From [en.wikipedia.org] :

Red imported fire ants are extremely resilient, and have adapted to contend with both flooding and drought conditions. If the ants sense increased water levels in their nests, they will come together and form a huge ball or raft that is able to float, with the workers on the outside and the queen inside.[2][3] Once the ball hits a tree or other stationary object, the ants swarm onto it and wait for the water levels to recede.

Onyma Report This Comment
Date: August 29, 2012 06:58PM

Ok that's pretty interesting. Don't think any of our species of ants up here do that.

quasi Report This Comment
Date: August 29, 2012 08:02PM

I wish these didn't do that.

I'm trying Diphenhydramine with the bunch of bites I got yesterday. Never done that before and it seems like it may be helping but it's hard too say - sometimes it takes a few days for the real itching to start, and sometimes the ants just aren't as potent. I've had bites that barely make a mark and hardly itch and I've seen a time when one bite on my index finger made my whole hand swell up.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 29/08/2012 08:03PM by quasi.

GAK67 Report This Comment
Date: August 29, 2012 11:21PM

I'm thinking that while they are out of the nest and grouped together like this, and unable to scurry away, it's a prime opportunity to destroy them.

BlahX3 Report This Comment
Date: August 30, 2012 12:06AM

I didn't know those ants actually sting and not bite until I read that article.

fossil_digger Report This Comment
Date: August 30, 2012 12:35AM

they're too small to put a bite on ya, but sting they can.
when they ball up like that, a propane torch is the weapon of choice. FIRE!! F F F FIRE!!

woberto Report This Comment
Date: August 30, 2012 02:18AM

Reminds me of "magic sand" from when I was a kid.

quasi Report This Comment
Date: August 30, 2012 09:30AM

Yeah, they're magic alright. Tiny little bugs that can make a grown man dance around and yelp.

BlahX3 Report This Comment
Date: August 30, 2012 11:13PM

Sadly that is very funny Q.

I'm not sure a propane torch alone is going to work very well Elmer. Sure you'll kill a lot of them but I can imagine them popping and exploding, propelling other, non-injured, very aggressive ants in random directions. It could end up as a suicide mission.