Crazy Rasberry Ants on the rampage
(Above: some ants I videotaped last year. They aren't really Crazy Rasberry Ants.)
Nothing's quite as fun as a Hellstrom Chronicle-style news story about marauding insects. This time, it's the delightfully-named Crazy Rasberry Ant, and it has its quivering antennae trained in the direction of San Antonio, Texas.
"Where you'll have 200,000 ants in a big fire ant mound, you'll have billions of crazy ants in one area, in that one group. They form a carpet of ants over acres that is several inches thick."Destructive ants marching on San Antonio...
The crazy ants even kill fire ants, which many may think is good news, but they are more destructive to homes and businesses than fire ants. They pack into electrical equipment in such dense numbers that they short out computers, air conditioning units and car computers.
the latest
latest episodes
...But can we still sick the Zombifying flies on them? or are these ants not on the flies' radar for some reason?
Invading computer equipment? Clearly this is part of Brian Molko's plan to take down depleted uranium ammunition manufacturers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg3PusV3DTc
#1
The parasites are often very species specific. Not sure there is a corresponding one for these guys. Rasberry ants haven't been on the radar long, and are not well studied.
No problem. Simply release wave after wave of Chinese needle snakes.
Something tells me that whoever discovered "Crazy Raspberry Ants" let their kid name the species. Which is AWESOME.
Needs more Benny Hill Theme
#4
and then the mongoose waves to eat the snakes...
I got totally sucked into that! I could watch it for hours :)
One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. And I for one welcome our new insect overlords.
Kent Brockman
Brainspore, He named it after his kid's last name, Rasberry!
nature's pest control against texans
Named after Tom Rasberry, not the fruit.
Great Googly Moogly. I'm happy I live where it's cold enough to send ants into dormancy.
The name Rasberry has additionally potential to confuse, as green ants are famous for tasting like lemons or limes. (How's that for a branch on your tree of useless knowledge) Someone from Texas pls tell us what Rasberry ants taste like.
Are these the guys that are attracted to, and cause havoc with, traffic lights? I think I saw a special on them a few years ago.
We are witnessing an astounding chapter of insect evolution! Here's a link to a short piece I wrote about the emerging and fascinating phenomena of ant supercolonies:
http://bugfactory.blogspot.com/2006/05/ant-supercolonies.html
motor oil is an effective area denial system against ants. a ring of oil around a post will deny access to birdfeeders, mailboxes, lights - anything you can put on a pole that the ants will ruin. if the ants get in your home, separate as much electronics equipment as possible from surfaces by putting oil-soaked rag or sponge between them.
motor oil is an effective area denial system against ants. a ring of oil around a post will deny access to birdfeeders, mailboxes, lights - anything you can put on a pole that the ants will ruin.
It will also contaminate groundwater and get you a fat fine plus thousands of dollars in abatement costs.
Hellstrom's Hive was a good novel. A tad weird, but a good solid effort by Frank Herbert.
@11 BobHughes - would your statement about texans have been more or less offensive it was a racial slur? Just because Texans made some dubious political choices, and have a lot of squeaky-wheel rednecks, please don't insult the lot of us in one breath.
We're 1/12th of the country's population. You're the pest.
im not talking about building a moat, just smearing an oily layer around a section of post. a typical application would require maybe 3 mL at most, undetectable to anyone unless they are expressly testing for oil and already know where I've applied it. i'm guessing it would be insignificant compared to the amount of oil that gets into groundwater from people's driveways. i smear it on with my finger, watch the ants march up to it, circle around for awhile and then leave, not to return for several weeks, if at all. even when it dries or gets rained on, there will still be a lasting film that they won't cross.
@knodi #20
i was expecting my post to be disemvoweled, tbh
i try to confine all of my blatant trolling to the less intellectual venues of the blogosphere, but every now and then there comes along a real gem here that i just can't pass up
but if you are seriously wondering: no, i would not be particularly pleased if the ants ate texas, or even the bad apples there
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he4fIw-g_wg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2PLls02gOU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDK3IT29uoQ&feature=related
Ants is the example of "power of unity". But It is serious that ants can destroy our computer, air condition and car computer parts. You can use motor oil to prevent electronics part from ants. A ring of oil around a post will deny access to bird feeders, mailboxes, lights - anything you can put on a pole that the ants will ruin.
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980528a.cfm
"In some areas of the house, if they get in they can be half an inch thick just crawling all over each other all over the floor," he said.
"They form a carpet of ants over acres that is several inches thick."
I cannot find a picture of this. Lots of other info, and videos of ants swarming around, but you'd think that there would have been at least one picture taken of a several-inch-thick layer of ants.
@29-Pasketi
It's easy to take the picture... but then you have to get away.
#29
Connect the dots. They are widely reported to be infesting computers and other electronic equipment. They have entered the internet and eaten the most threatening looking images. Hey, if Warner brothers can devour all their video library off of youtube, a few million ants can disappear a handfull of jpegs.
Wow, all this and not a single Phase IV reference?
Takuan, I'm disappointed... although I guess there isn't much chance someone posted a clip of such an obscure flick on YT.
I merely incite, you delivered.
Some say a chalk line will keep them from crossing...haven't tested it myself.
We've had these ants since before last summer (50 miles north of San Antonio. I must admit their bite isn't nearly as painful or lasting as the fire ants and they have indeed got rid of fire ants from the yard. And please...this part of the country is a blue patch in a red sea...be nice.