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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Invasive Ants


The  lines have been drawn in North Carolina between Argentine ants and Asian needle ants in a battle over territory and food.  Both the Argentines and  the Asians are invaders and, like other ants, go crazy over sugar.
 
According to Scientific American, the Argentines have conquered native ants everywhere, except for those, if ever, in Antarctica. Now, the Argentines stand to lose their turf to the Asians.
 
The invading ants are only a few of the more than 12,040 species of ants in the world. Some of the ants are eco-friendly gardeners that till the soil and plant seeds.  Invaders, on the other hand, are outright destroyers. Their sting can be lethal to humans.
 
The ants are so pervasive, they've gone into my mind. There are days when negative ants overwhelm the friendly ants of my thoughts, making me  hyperventilate in allergic reaction.
 
Those are the days when I need candy the most.
 
 
Photo by Maya Garrett
 
Here 's the link to an article about invasive ants:
 
- Ariel Murphy

 

6 comments:

  1. I'm one of the eco-friendly ants, but I still love me some sugar!

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  2. Just had time to read the complete article - amazing how as we advance as a civilization and spread non-native species worldwide with our ships and planes. Thanks for the scientific article - luckily here I am only troubled by those "sugar" ants, which still invade my mind as I observe their habits and their ability to learn how to avoid the "Terro" ant Killer substance!

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    Replies
    1. And what have you observed so far Pete? Care to share?

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  3. Well, I used it for a few times, and they were drawn to it immediately and disappeared...for awhile...so I kept putting the drops out and it seemed to be working as before...until one day when a LOT of them came out, I put several drops in their paths and watched them as they approached. Then they navigated around the drops as if they KNEW from experience not to taste it!

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