COLD TOLERANT FIRE ANTS

Associated Press | July 5, 2002 | ELLIOTT MINOR

[NYer]

No doubt these guys can eradicate the pesky critters.

[Robert A Cook PE]

D**m.

[Larry Lucido]

two types of flies that decapitate the ants

Must be trained in sharia law.

[Movemout]

Dig up a colony or two and send them down to Guantanomo. They need a new tool in their interrogation toolkit. Send some wooden stakes and rawhide strips and one Mescalero. No more need be said.

[OldSmaj]

Being a particularly cold-hearted individual, I take particular delight in lightly raking the top off the mound, just enough to disturb the ants so as to cause them to swarm by the thousands.

I then incinerate them with the umpty-ump zillion BTU flame-throwing propane gas torch I have.

I love to watch them burst from the heat, to see the eggs swell and burst.

Once I've done one mound, I then go on the hunt for the next, maintaining a schedule so that my return to the previous is at the point where the survivors have removed the dead and are ready to swarm again, and so we dance once more.

However, I've noticed of late that I am having more and difficulty finding the little buggers.

My research tends to indicate that they have learned to remove themselves from my property and migrate to other property. A few mounds even have been established just across my property line, on the property of a person that feels that we should let nature take it's course and will not allow me to cross over to incinerate the damn things.

No matter, I think they have learned to stay off my property. Perhaps I can get a gubmint grant to prove my theory, i.e., that a dedicated fire ant roaster can effectively teach fire ants where property lines lie.

Hmmm, got to be some money in that somewhere.

[Dallas]

I blew a few mounds all to hell with firecrackers yesterday...

It just wasn't satisfying not being able to watch them suffer.....(sigh)

[Flyer]

With no natural enemies outside South America

I think you have proven that theory wrong. Gasoline down the mounds (shhhh. . .!) makes for some great muffled BOOMS! when it ignites far underground.

[budwiesest]

Wanted: One slightly used ant-eater.

Have heard the ants can put a nasty sting on you. Hope they don't get this way soon. Maybe they'll arrive at the same time as the 'killer' bees. Would certainly liven up those weekend radio garden shows.

[Valin]

Once I've done one mound, I then go on the hunt for the next, maintaining a schedule so that my return to the previous is at the point where the survivors have removed the dead and are ready to swarm again, and so we dance once more.

Everyone should have a hobby.

[Savage Beast]

I was bit by fire ants a few days ago. Where did you get that incinerator thing? I'd like to get one.

Maybe you should go into the extermination business. There's certainly a need, and you would enjoy it I would think.

Is that incinerator useful for blasting weeds? I mean, like in the middle of your parking area or maybe isolated weeds in the flowerbeds? I've often thought it would be easy just to incinerated all those weeds that come up among the rocks.

[general_re]

Somebody once told me that you shouldn't use gasoline because "it doesn't work 100% of the time." Which was hardly a drawback for me - that just means there's a chance I'll get to do it again :^)

[Savage Beast]

No, get two.

I haven't met any killer bees, but from what I hear I think they're much worse than fire ants.

I never realized that Mobile is such a hotbed of unwanted species immigration.

[G.Mason]

"With no natural enemies outside South America........"

Just as I suspected.

The author was talking through his hat!

You are a "natural" enemy of these critters.

With a few more like you the problem will be over.

Thanks.

[Hacksaw]

No matter, I think they have learned to stay off my property. Perhaps I can get a gubmint grant to prove my theory, i.e., that a dedicated fire ant roaster can effectively teach fire ants where property lines lie.

Just wait till the Sierra Club gets the hybrids classified as an endangered species!

[2sheep]

Fire Ant Bump.

[Wm Bach]

Make no mistake about it, these ants are on a genetic jihad.
It's them or us. Some will call it pesticide, but I don't care...kill them all.

[LRS]

"Don't cry for me oh Argentine ants..."

[Pining_4_TX]

I was bit by fire ants a few days ago.

Mind you, moose bites are worse.

[JudyB1938]

80 to 100 acres at UNLV are infested. They are hoping to eradicate them before they spread any further. HAH! Can't be done. Once a single solitary fire ant gets into a place, they are there forever. Oh, how I hate those darned things!

Fire Ants - What are they?

[RichardW]

There is one upside to the fireant problem. Where they are located you won't find ticks. Evidently they feed on them. I've been bitten many times and their bite is obvious and painful. You can put poison on top of the mound and they are gone overnight but I suspect they just move to a different location. I just think we are just stuck with them until a natural method of erradication is found.