What can responsible, freedom loving, family loving, just-want-to-be-left-alone, Americans learn from the noble fire ant?
Today is the third time this year I've gotten attacked by fire ants. First time in July, while I was fending off flocks of NC's state bird, the Deer Fly, I stepped on a mound in tall grass and they got me on my right leg as high as the back of my knee. Second time they got in my shoe and stung me all around my right ankle, even through my sock. Today, five stings on the outside of the right ankle. Individually, they aren't as bad as a Yellow Jacket. But when you get stung by five or more, they can ruin a good part of your day. And when the pain over, there's not enough calamine lotion to stop the itch. Miserable little bastards.
But they teach a valuable lesson. They pretty much keep to themselves until you disturb their home. Then it's on. Half of them carry off the eggs, the other half attack and they don't stop. They have a pint-sized bang-stick in their ass and they know how to use it in defense of home and family. All of us ought to be like the noble Fire Ant.
And, by the way, this is a banner year for Fire Ants. I've never seen as many mounds in NC as I have this year. I can look out on a acre of field and count 20-30 Fire Ant mounds.
_____________ "I enter a swamp as a sacred place—a sanctum sanctorum. There is the strength—the marrow of Nature." - Henry David Thoreau
______________________________________________________________________ "When its time to shoot, shoot. Dont talk!"
“What the government is good at is collecting taxes, taking away your freedoms and killing people. It’s not good at much else.” —Author Tom Clancy
November 16, 2020, 03:02 PM
jhe888
The worst part is that they are undesirable aliens without papers.
The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
November 16, 2020, 03:53 PM
Micropterus
I'm not sure what eats them, if anything. There are so damned many mounds. And some of the mounds are enormous.
_____________ "I enter a swamp as a sacred place—a sanctum sanctorum. There is the strength—the marrow of Nature." - Henry David Thoreau
November 16, 2020, 04:03 PM
jhe888
quote:
Originally posted by Micropterus: I'm not sure what eats them, if anything. There are so damned many mounds. And some of the mounds are enormous.
A few critters (armadillos, birds, a few reptiles, and some other insects) feed on them, but not so as to make any real difference in their numbers.
The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
November 17, 2020, 02:02 PM
GWbiker
There were two painful lessons that I quickly learned in south Florida.
1. Don't crawl under a car parked on an Fire Ant hill to change the oil.
2. When walking on Saw Grass, wear shoes.
********* "Some people are alive today because it's against the law to kill them".
November 17, 2020, 08:49 PM
CQB60
I was picking pecans this past weekend. Was bitten four times before I knew what hit me. Those little terrors work fast!
______________________________________________ Life is short. It’s shorter with the wrong gun…
November 18, 2020, 04:45 AM
henryaz
Marshall TX has an annual Fire Ant Festival every October, unfortunately cancelled this year due to Covid restrictions. They have the obligatory parade, a chili cooking contest, and other contests such as the Fire Ant Calling contest. It has many sponsors now, but was originally sponsored by Amdro.
When in doubt, mumble
November 19, 2020, 02:16 PM
Augen
Been there as well with the little demons. But I have learned to quickly make a slurry of salt to cover the bites. Helps a lot with the pain.
November 23, 2020, 02:08 PM
copaup
I was camping once off of Pensacola Beach. At o'dark thirty I awoke needing to relive myself of a quantity of liquid refreshment I had consumed watching the sun go down over the bay. I rolled out of my tent and felt my foot sink into a surprisingly soft bit of soil. Those little bastards lit me up. What they lack in size, they make up in ferocity.
Funny thing is we have them all over the place here and I've never run afoul of them.
November 23, 2020, 10:24 PM
Bisleyblackhawk
quote:
Originally posted by Micropterus: I'm not sure what eats them, if anything. There are so damned many mounds. And some of the mounds are enormous.
We always have few large mounds of the hateful little bastages at our rifle range and I have always enjoyed kicking the top off of them before dumping fire ant killer on them...but I saw something I had never seen before on the last one I kicked...what looked like thousands all scurrying around carrying their eggs (as usual)...but within three minutes the top of the mound was covered with yellow jackets eating every egg. Being a Georgia Tech fan I decided to give the yellow jackets another feast and picked up a 6’ steel fence post and dug deep down and about ten times the number that came from the first kick...including what I took to be the queen (larger and different looking)...within minutes the yellow jackets repeated their attack and pick-a-nick ...it looked like something out of an episode of Animal Planet
"we've gotta roll with the punches, learn to play all of our hunches Making the best of what ever comes our way Forget that blind ambition and learn to trust your intuition Plowing straight ahead come what may And theres a cowboy in the jungle" Jimmy Buffet
November 23, 2020, 10:33 PM
P220 Smudge
quote:
Originally posted by GWbiker: There were two painful lessons that I quickly learned in south Florida.
1. Don't crawl under a car parked on an Fire Ant hill to change the oil.
2. When walking on Saw Grass, wear shoes.
3. Don't stand in one place too long, especially without keeping an eye on your feet.
______________________________________________ Carthago delenda est
-- Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past me I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. --
It has many sponsors now, but was originally sponsored by Amdro.
...it looked like something out of an episode of Animal Planet 