Posted on 09/09/2009 8:51:04 AM PDT by Dysart
Something crazy is spreading across Texas, and it may be so destructive that one day it will make Texans actually miss the hated fire ant.
Crazy ants, so named because they move in all directions rather than in a straight line, first surfaced in Houston seven years ago and had previously been confirmed in 14 Southeast Texas counties as far north as Huntsville.
But now the ants have been seen beyond the Houston area, with confirmed sightings in San Antonio and in Jim Hogg County in the Rio Grande Valley.
This discovery is viewed as "a significant change" by researchers who have long feared that the ants would move to other parts of the state, said Rob Plowes, a research associate with the University of Texas at Austin Fire Ant Research Center who visited San Antonio last week.
What concerns scientists is that crazy ants established a presence in San Antonio despite a prolonged drought. The colony was located near a strip shopping center, a hotel and a drainage canal, which provided enough moisture for the ants to survive.
The best guess is that the crazy ants spread through nursery plants or perhaps hay bales.
(Excerpt) Read more at star-telegram.com ...
I'm in central Tx. and this is the first year in longer than I can remember that I haven't found a single fire ant bed in my yard. When I mention it to other people they say the same.
And also for the first time in more years than I can remember I've seen horned toads in my yard. In fact four sightings.
It's been 20 years for sure and maybe 40 since I'd seen a single one.
Same here. Also have tent caterpillars in all my pecan trees and most of them are too high to spray. Just giving up and letting them go.
That’s interesting!
When I get bit by even one fire ant, my entire foot/hand/whatever swells up. I just wear long pants, socks, and boots, expecially during the summer.
Wow. Liberals have ants named after them.
You would look a bit strange if you were doctoring fire ant bites. They like to swarm on the target and all bite & sting at the same time on the count of three. Meaning you would have a hundred or more pennies on that limb/body part.
Anyway, as for the behaviorally-challenged ants per the article, I don't know of anyone personally this far north who has encountered them--yet. Your account of the bites, though, with the rash is consistent with my dogs' reaction. Maybe a field study is in order this wkend.
Aha! I knew it! They don't call you LongElegantLegs for nothin.
I have a friend in Midlothian who’s tied in with a few vets in the area. I’m going to shoot her a note and see if she’s heard of anything like this up that way. Let you know if I find out anything interesting....
I lost all my ping lists, so let me know if you want on or off this TX ping list.
Dimes work 10 times better.
For weeks the only relief I got was taking a shower as hot as I could stand it about 4 times a day. I hate those ants.
sw
A few years ago I had an infestation of very big, very busy ants and I got rid of them fairly easily. They were living in and around cracks in my drive way in the front of the house.
I thought everybody had a crazy aunt.
And oddly, rattlesnakes are making a comeback.
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