Hairy, crazy ants invade from Texas to Miss.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Evo
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the invasion of hairy, crazy ants from Texas to Mississippi, exploring their potential impact on industrial sites and the general public's reaction to their presence. Participants share anecdotes, opinions, and humorous takes on the situation, reflecting on the broader implications of such invasions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express concern about the ants' ability to disrupt industrial operations, citing specific incidents where they have caused system failures.
  • Others share personal experiences with the ants, noting their speed and chaotic behavior, while some downplay the seriousness of the situation.
  • A humorous perspective is offered regarding the ants' dominance in nature, with one participant suggesting that humans are merely tolerated due to their sugar production.
  • There are suggestions for unconventional methods to deal with the ants, including the idea of creating a chemical that would induce death in the ants, though this is met with skepticism about its effectiveness.
  • Several participants reference cultural works, such as short stories and movies, that relate to the theme of ants, indicating a shared interest in the topic beyond the immediate issue.
  • Some comments veer into humor and absurdity, with playful remarks about "hairy, crazy aunts" and the idea of hiring children to deal with the ants.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion features a mix of agreement on the ants' disruptive potential and disagreement regarding their actual threat level and the best methods for addressing the issue. No consensus is reached on how serious the problem is or how to effectively manage it.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying degrees of familiarity with the ants, with some having lived in affected areas for years without encountering them personally. The discussion reflects a range of assumptions about the ants' behavior and impact, as well as differing interpretations of their significance.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those concerned with pest control, environmental impacts of invasive species, or individuals interested in humorous takes on serious topics.

Evo
Staff Emeritus
Messages
24,114
Reaction score
3,277
Armageddon in the form of ants? They can potentially wipe out huge industrial sites?

Armageddants.

It's an extreme example of what can happen when the ants — which also can disable huge industrial plants — go unchecked.

A computer system controlling pipeline valves shorted out twice in about 35 days, but monthly treatments there now keep the bugs at bay, said exterminator Tom Rasberry, who found the first Texas specimens of the species in the Houston area in 2002.

"We're kind of going for overkill on that particular site because so much is at stake," he said. "If that shuts down, they could literally shut down an entire chemical plant that costs millions of dollars."

And, compared to other ants, these need overkill. For instance, Gold said, if 100,000 are killed by pesticides, millions more will follow.
more...

http://news.yahoo.com/hairy-crazy-ants-invade-texas-miss-150823360.html
 
Last edited:
Biology news on Phys.org
Yuck! Add them to the list of things going wrong.
 
sounds like just a matter of time before they kill people

http://urbanentomology.tamu.edu/ants/exotic_tx.cfm
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Wow, that's much worse than the pigs.
 
GO ANTS! Create chaos everywhere my precious anty minions!
 
You guys should watch this video. It's really interesting.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Evo said:
Armageddants.

LOL, only someone who's never lived in the tropics could be surprised by this. Bugs already rule the world with some 4-6 hundred pounds of ants alone for every human being. They only tolerate us because we grow sugar.:-p
 
Meh, that story is old news. I live in Houston and worked in the chemical industry. They were there the entire 4.5 years that I was, although we didn't know of them as "Raspberry Ants" until 2-3 years ago. I've never seen them around my house or anywhere away from the chemical plant where I worked (5 miles from my house) and I've lived in the area all my life.

They are interesting to watch though. There's seemingly no method to the madness and they are VERY fast. They look like normal red ants on speed and highly disorganized.
 
  • #10
Sure would be nice if we could invent a chemical which tells them "Ok, you're very old and have lived a nice, long life, so go lay down and die."

Probably just create more food for those who didn't get the message.
 
  • #12
Evo said:
Hairy, crazy ants invade from Texas to Miss.

We had the same problem in California with hairy, crazy aunts from South Dakota.
 
  • #13
Ivan Seeking said:
We had the same problem in California with hairy, crazy aunts from South Dakota.

Its all them illegal aliens I tell ya. Fire ants, killer bees, we should send em back where they came from.
 
  • #14
wuliheron said:
Its all them illegal aliens I tell ya. Fire ants, killer bees, we should send em back where they came from.

Oh, ants, not aunts! Nevermind.
 
  • #15
Just hire some prepubescent boys with a history of torturing insects.
 
  • #16
Loren Booda said:
Just hire some prepubescent boys with a history of torturing insects.

WTH?

I think these raspberry creatures outnumber them millions to one, so the boys will be busy...

Uh, they've a hive mind. We have a collective mind. Can't we do better?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #17
Ivan Seeking said:
Oh, ants, not aunts! Nevermind.

Ants can have aunts.
 
  • #18
DoggerDan said:
WTH?

I think these raspberry creatures outnumber them millions to one, so the boys will be busy...

Uh, they've a hive mind. We have a collective mind. Can't we do better?

Reflecting on my childhood and the 1,000,000+ ants I must have killed.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #19
Evo said:
Armageddon in the form of ants? They can potentially wipe out huge industrial sites?

Armageddants.

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/hairy-crazy-ants-invade-texas-miss-150823360.html
I think they are Templar Termite Terrorists in disguise.
 

Similar threads

NASA Crazy Rasberry ants head for NASA
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K