147 replies to this topic

[TennesseeAnts]

Honestly, he should care if he imports Atta, because it might not be able to survive in Washington, but someone could be a real creepo, ping his IP address and tell the local authorities...It's not likely, but a risk, and a risk I personally wouldn't take...He could get arrested, but he doesn't seem to care so why should I help him. He made the decision to not care about some laws so why should I care about him?
Edit: I could continue with how the authorities could find you with your IP address and etc. but I'm going to give you one warning, and this was it. I and I don't think anyone else wants to help you. Congrats, and I may sound like I'm overreacting, but I'm not, just being a realist before you yell at me

While although most likely true, apparently there was a British keeper that released an Acromyrmex colony in his backyard one year after he decided he didn't want them, thinking they'd die. They survived the winter in his walls and the following summer proceeded to cut the neighbor's plants. The colony was discovered when the neighbors complained about "large ants" de-leafing entire plants. The authorities destroyed the colony soon after.

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, May 8 2020 - 12:55 PM.

[AntsDakota]

Talk about irresponsible.........

[Mdrogun]

 

Honestly, he should care if he imports Atta, because it might not be able to survive in Washington, but someone could be a real creepo, ping his IP address and tell the local authorities...It's not likely, but a risk, and a risk I personally wouldn't take...He could get arrested, but he doesn't seem to care so why should I help him. He made the decision to not care about some laws so why should I care about him? 
Edit: I could continue with how the authorities could find you with your IP address and etc. but I'm going to give you one warning, and this was it. I and I don't think anyone else wants to help you. Congrats, and I may sound like I'm overreacting, but I'm not, just being a realist before you yell at me

there was a British keeper that released an Acromyrmex colony in his backyard one year after he decided he didn't want them, thinking they'd die. They survived the winter in his walls and the following summer proceeded to cut the neighbor's plants. The colony was discovered when the neighbors complained about "large ants" de-leafing entire plants. The authorities destroyed the colony soon after.

 

This cannot be true. The fungus cannot go that long without food, unless he was providing them with food himself. 

[AntsDakota]

Maybe he was.........

[Temperateants]

Either way it's a horrible situation, not having a permit usually goes hand in hand with not having the ability to raise the ants also, since you'd expect an expert to have a permit....

[AnthonyP163]

 not having a permit usually goes hand in hand with not having the ability to raise the ants also, 

Where is your proof of this? I cannot imagine people with illegal ants are very eager to show you their inability to keep the ants which they obtain. I know keepers who imported ants illegally and keep them exactly how they would if they had a permit. 

 

 

 

Honestly, he should care if he imports Atta, because it might not be able to survive in Washington, but someone could be a real creepo, ping his IP address and tell the local authorities...It's not likely, but a risk, and a risk I personally wouldn't take...He could get arrested, but he doesn't seem to care so why should I help him. He made the decision to not care about some laws so why should I care about him?
Edit: I could continue with how the authorities could find you with your IP address and etc. but I'm going to give you one warning, and this was it. I and I don't think anyone else wants to help you. Congrats, and I may sound like I'm overreacting, but I'm not, just being a realist before you yell at me

While although most likely true, apparently there was a British keeper that released an Acromyrmex colony in his backyard one year after he decided he didn't want them, thinking they'd die. They survived the winter in his walls and the following summer proceeded to cut the neighbor's plants. The colony was discovered when the neighbors complained about "large ants" de-leafing entire plants. The authorities destroyed the colony soon after.

 

This sounds like a very convenient story. As Mdrogun mentioned, the fungus could not survive. 

[Cotton]

this is a [censored] show

this is a [censored] show

[BugFinder]

 

 

You shouldn't buy ants illegally just because you want them. I'm pretty sure everyone here wants some ants that don't live in their area but want to get them.

Why should someone else's opinions have any bearing on the choices a person decides to make?  Especially the opinions of strangers?

 

The opinion of the law does, though.

 

 

There is no such thing as "the opinion of the law".   There are laws, and if you are the police, then I can understand why you'd take such an interest in what he is doing.   If you're not the police, then it's really weird if you think getting upset at a stranger for having an exotic ant (as if it's any of your business to begin with) will, or should, have any impact on that stranger or their behavior.

[ANTdrew]

Time to take this thread off the respirator- life support. Let it die please.

[SuperFrank]

Why isn't he banned

[Temperateants]

 

 

 

You shouldn't buy ants illegally just because you want them. I'm pretty sure everyone here wants some ants that don't live in their area but want to get them.

Why should someone else's opinions have any bearing on the choices a person decides to make?  Especially the opinions of strangers?

 

The opinion of the law does, though.

 

 

There is no such thing as "the opinion of the law".   There are laws, and if you are the police, then I can understand why you'd take such an interest in what he is doing.   If you're not the police, then it's really weird if you think getting upset at a stranger for having an exotic ant (as if it's any of your business to begin with) will, or should, have any impact on that stranger or their behavior.

 

Sorry, I was just trying to be clever. But the problem with violating laws is that if one person does it and gets away with it, it might snowball. Luckily this guy just illegally imported Atta, but someone else might import Solenopsis. You can't break a law you don't want to follow it, it is there for a reason.

[AntsDakota]

Why isn't he banned

Who? There is no one who posted here who hasn't contributed a lot to this forum. Banning them because of one incident is completely beyond reason.

[Temperateants]

Who were they talking to?

[Skwiggledork]

We should just derail it.

Everyone post what ants they would get if legality wasn't an issue.

I'll start. Any Myrmecia sp., but the red and black ones are really pretty, like M.brevinoda.

[TheMicroPlanet]

I'd get Polyrhachis or something.

[SuperFrank]

Banning someone for admitting to illegally receiving and possessing an extremely damaging agricultural pest species is not beyond reason. Leaf cutting Attines collectively cost the agricultural industry millions every year. Atta/Acromyrmex are precisely the type of organisms the federal and state governments do not want being moved around without explicit permission.

Edited by SuperFrank, May 9 2020 - 2:39 PM.

[AnthonyP163]

Banning someone for admitting to illegally receiving and possessing an extremely damaging agricultural pest species is not beyond reason. Leaf cutting Attines collectively cost the agricultural industry millions every year. Atta/Acromyrmex are precisely the type of organisms the federal and state governments do not want being moved around without explicit permission.

This is not Discord, you shouldn't ban everyone who disagrees. Leaf cutting attines of the United States are mostly all in the southwestern US, him importing one into Washington does not have a chance of doing any real damage. I am not saying what he did is good, but the idea of banning everyone because of how they choose to keep ants or what they keep is absurd, and does NOT help. 

Edited by AnthonyP163, May 9 2020 - 2:54 PM.

[Otter]

Banning someone for admitting to illegally receiving and possessing an extremely damaging agricultural pest species is not beyond reason. Leaf cutting Attines collectively cost the agricultural industry millions every year. Atta/Acromyrmex are precisely the type of organisms the federal and state governments do not want being moved around without explicit permission.

I agree with this, especially as we are just going into summer, but Atta texana simply can't survive much further north than Texas. If they could, they would already be there as they have had thousands of years to spread. I have heard the story about the guy in England with the Acromyrmex that survived winter parroted many times but it is physically impossible for Acromyrmex or their fungus to survive an English winter. Unless the guy was housing them and feeding them, inside his house, its impossible. What I think actually happened was the colony got large enough to the point where they could escape and forage outside, and they did this for 2 years before someone actually noticed although I have never seen sources for any of the claims. The same goes for Atta texana and the WA winter. I'm not saying that transporting Atta without a permit is okay, I am simply saying that the agricultural worries are null. Permits are very easy to get and don't multiple months as some people think, the only requirement is that you are 18+. 

[Tfisupe]

Man I didn't expect all of this...they are dieing anyway people...lol

[Serafine]

"They can't survive winter."

Ah yes, that's exactly what people thought when they first saw these guys in Scotland:

 

Turns out they are perfectly capable of surviving the damp cold scottish weather, winter included.

 

 

Animals from warmer climate zone always aren't capable of surviving winter until they suddenly can.

Edited by Serafine, May 12 2020 - 5:47 PM.