Hairy, 'crazy' ants invade from Texas to Mississippi

yahoo.com/Associated Press ^ | Sat, Oct 1, 2011 | JANET McCONNAUGHEY

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — It sounds like a horror movie: Biting ants invade by the millions. A camper's metal walls bulge from the pressure of ants nesting behind them. A circle of poison stops them for only a day, and then a fresh horde shows up, bringing babies. Stand in the yard, and in seconds ants cover your shoes.

It's an extreme example of what can happen when the ants — which also can disable huge industrial plants — go unchecked. Controlling them can cost thousands of dollars. But the story is real, told by someone who's been studying ants for a decade.

"Months later, I could close my eyes and see them moving," said Joe MacGown, who curates the ant, mosquito and scarab collections at the Mississippi State Entomological Museum at Mississippi State University.

He's been back to check on the hairy crazy ants. They're still around. The occupant isn't.

The flea-sized critters are called crazy because each forager scrambles randomly at a speed that your average picnic ant, marching one by one, reaches only in video fast-forward. They're called hairy because of fuzz that, to the naked eye, makes their abdomens look less glossy than those of their slower, bigger cousins.

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

I think I saw some of these invade my kitchen after the midro-pissants left.I think they ate the pissants.They are large and fast and black.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I suggest fire, and lots of it.

[gimme1ibertee]

Hairy,"crazy" ants

Why don't the uncles just shave em down & medicate them? :P

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

My bad.The ants I saw were black and did not look like this.But I swear the red and black ants are crossbreeding into sci-fi things as I've never had an allergic reaction to regular red ants. And this does not look like any ant I've seen.

[truthguy]

Can't be true. The Libertarians have assured us that all immigration no matter how many and what type is good for the US. Just ask Ben Wattenburg, he will tell you all immigration is good. They are only doing the job our domestic ants refuse to do.

[bigheadfred]

Why don't the uncles just shave em down & medicate them? :P

AAAAAHHHH!!!

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

That’s just it most of the south had bad fires over the summer.

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

LOL

[PAR35]

Anything that will kill a fire ant colony can’t be all bad.

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

Long time no see.I see how you are posting in this pertinentimportant thread and noring me.

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

I didn’t read far enough to see this.hmmmm.Ever notice ladybugs have wings now and invaded from China and bite?

[Red_Devil 232]

Mississippi State University developed a poison that would kill the Fire Ant and the mound in a matter of days it was so effective the EPA band it. Something to do with ground water pollution.

[bigheadfred]

Long time no see.I see how you are posting in this pertinentimportant thread and noring me.

AAAAAAHHHH!!!!

5

35

And you are bugging out...

[mapmaker77]

The best way to get rid of fire ants is to dig a shovel full of one hole and dump it on another hole, instant carniverous insect war.

[lefty-lie-spy]

Chet99? Is that you? What does this have to do with global warming and herpes?

[yarddog]

It is not that hard to kill fire ants but they will eventually return because you can’t kill all of them in the area.

I clear my yard of them every few weeks but it is a losing battle. After I have killed them all it is only a temporary victory.

[EGPWS]

Hairy, 'crazy' ants invade from Texas to Mississippi

Like this?

[ilovesarah2012]

On first glance, I thought it was an article about another long-lost Obama relative.

[tbw2]

What is the best way to kill fire ants?