Posted on 10/07/2015 7:09:03 AM PDT by JoeProBono
GREENVILLE, S.C., - South Carolina ants seeking to stay afloat amid flooding in the state are creating their own refuge by forming into "islands of ants."
A photojournalist for WHNS-TV spotted what appeared to be mud floating in Greenville County flood waters Sunday, but he soon discovered the clump was actually an "island of ants."
A similar video was captured by a photographer for WSAV-TV.
Residents across the region reported seeing similar ant islands floating in flooded areas.
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology said in a 2013 study that fire ants use their jaws, small claws and adhesive pads on their legs to form into floating structures.
The researchers said the "ant rafts" are strong enough to withstand waves and the structures are able to break apart and relink in different formations.
"Imagine thousands of people linking their arms together, but everyone has six arms instead of two, and all of their limbs have tiny hooks and adhesive pads on them,"said David Hu, professor at Georgia Institute of Technology. "That's why fire ants can do such dynamic restructuring."
Pour molten metal down the hill.
I loved the horny toads as we called them when I was a kid. Haven’t seen one in years. There is no shortage of the other kind of lizard, they are all over my front and back porches. The dogs used to hunt them but they got bored with it I guess, and the lizards have taken over. What do these lizards eat?. Spiders I hope!
I haven’t seen one in 30 years. Cute little fellows. I tied strings around them and led them around like puppies when I was little. Grandma found one years later with the string still attached.
OMG - our salvation may be armies of 8-year-olds with boxes of Cascade under their arms. Check that - shove over, kid, Unca Bill wants to play too...
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We used to do that, too. LOL But we never hurt one.
Remember how they could just run like the devil, but we could always catch them? lol
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We used to do that, too. LOL But we never hurt one.
Remember how they could just run like the devil, but we could always catch them? lol
________________________
We used to do that, too. LOL But we never hurt one.
Remember how they could just run like the devil, but we could always catch them? lol
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We used to do that, too. LOL But we never hurt one.
Remember how they could just run like the devil, but we could always catch them? lol
The other lizards eat spiders, flys, etc.
But you can't catch them and play with them. You must mean Geckos. Now THEY'RE everywhere. Can't stand them. They look nasty.
I like anoles or chameleons (SO CUTE. love to see them do that amazing 'change their color bi't lol))..but they are too quick to catch, and they'll try to bite you. lol
**** “feed them grits” ****
I grind dent corn and feed it to Cutter Ants and it works very well. Cutter ants farm and eat Fungus, corn is or has a natural fungicide and destroys their fungus farm.
Fire ants have a different diet.
I wasn't willing to attack them head on for obvious reasons, but one cold morning just before frost, I bored a tunnel underneath the rock with a power drill and long auger. Then I diverted a roof drain pipe toward that tunnel. Between the rains of late fall and a cold winter, they were gone by spring thaw, except for a lot of corpses.
Coffee ZombAnts.
http://www.amazon.com/Safari-Incredible-Creatures-Horned-Lizard/dp/B004I28CYC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1444238048&sr=8-6&keywords=horned+lizards
Horned Lizard from Amazon:
see my post #76
See my post #76
See my post # 76
See my post #76
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