26 replies to this topic

[AdamL]

Do you think that it would be possible to weaponize ants. If its formic acid darts or kamikaze male elates do you thinks its possible

[Martialis]

....

why?

Just, why?

And no. Most definitely not directly.

Edited by Martialis, November 6 2019 - 11:51 AM.

[Pumpkin_Loves_Ants]

For weaponizing formic acid, no, it would take far to long to extract formic acid and would take to many resources. It would likely result in harm or death of ants being used as producers.

[AdamL]

Ok I was just curious and had the idea on the way home

[Serafine]

No, but bees and wasps were occasionally weaponized in ancient history - bees were usually kept in clay vases and when things got really desperate sometimes people resorted to fling them at the enemy army. Obviously they weren't exactly a controllable weapon but their effects could be pretty devastating, especially in terms if morale damage.

Edited by Serafine, November 6 2019 - 2:47 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

No, but bees and wasps were occasionally weaponized in ancient history - bees were usually kept in clay vases and when things got really desperate sometimes people resorted to fling them at the enemy army. Obviously they weren't exactly a controllable weapon but their effects could be pretty devastating, especially in terms if morale damage.

Interesting...

[AntJohnny]

I think a massive colony of any stinging species could be a weapon if you had enough of them. Kinda like the stinging vase bomb. Our ancestors were ruthless lol.

[TylrsAnts]

Some tribes in South America would catch bullet ants in jars and hurl them at the enemy so....

[AntJohnny]

Some tribes in South America would catch bullet ants in jars and hurl them at the enemy so....

They use lock jaw ants as sutures too. I know this will sound weird but when I was a kid and heard about that I wanted to find them ants and use then for cuts lol.

Before I learned Michigan doesn't have fire ants. Besides molesta. I wanted to find a bunch if workers and pull a prank on my brother. He has done alot of horrible pranks on me. So I don't think dipping a cup of stinging ants on him while he sleeps would be too bad😉

I wonder if you could make a hollow blow dart that opens on impact and releases bullet ants.

Edited by AntJohnny, November 6 2019 - 5:09 PM.

[ponerinecat]

ants are extremely easily weaponized.

[TennesseeAnts]

How so?

[ponerinecat]

pain and allergic reactions

I actually made a blue print for an ant gun

[Serafine]

Ants don't make good weapons. You have to achieve a direct hit on your target and even then it's likely that it can quickly shake off most of them, also due to their lightweight nature ants have TERRIBLE flight characteristics.
Bee and wasp nests are far more effective as they are basically persistent area-of-effect weapons that cannot simply be shaken off or stepped over and will completely deny a large area to the enemy for quite a long time - effectively it's about the same as standing in a wall of flames.

Edited by Serafine, November 7 2019 - 3:35 AM.

[AdamL]

pain and allergic reactions

I actually made a blue print for an ant gun

do you have eny pictures of this ant gun blue print

[treehunned]

I wouldn't doubt it if were some disease that they spread similar to how rats carried the black plague across countries back then. In modern use, I can think of when US tried weaponizing mosquitoes https://www.business...ts-utah-2019-10. Luckily biological warfare has been banned across UN member states.

[Serafine]

I'm more reminded of when the USAF tried to weaponize bats in the 1940s. Tests with ants will probably yield similar results.

[ponerinecat]

bat bombs were interesting

 

pain and allergic reactions

I actually made a blue print for an ant gun

do you have eny pictures of this ant gun blue print

 

 

no, and I lost it a while ago

[ponerinecat]

it worked on the basis of a sliding chamber with pressurized air behind it that would slide forward and stop, forcing a door open and letting the ants fly out

[TylrsAnts]

I imagine it would work on a hit or miss chance. As that would result in a shotgun spread.

[ponerinecat]

I imagine it would work on a hit or miss chance. As that would result in a shotgun spread.

exactly. hard to miss when 500 ants are fired in a 5 ft radius.