12 replies to this topic

[Mathiacus]

Everyone at work knows about my ant hobby. Some people are genuinely interested. Take Dave, he is always asking how my queens are going and if i have gotten any new ones. This morning Dave comes to me and says he has a large colony of "hoppy joes" in his yard. A google search and subsequent image search soft ids them as Myrmecia gulosa. A new species for me! He wants them gone and i want to posess them. Win win scenario! He is a bit tired of being stung when he is doing yard work. I don't blame him.

Edited by Mathiacus, January 6 2015 - 9:35 AM.

[Crystals]

That is nice.

Most of my family and friends think I am nuts to play with ants. 

 

Most of the younger ones ask why I like to watch ants and what I get out of it, in turn I ask them why they like to play video games and what they get out of it. 

 

Let us know how many times you end up getting stung. 

[William. T]

My family are not really what you call "ant lovers." Once, my dad was outside doing yard work. When he came back in for lunch he said that he squished maybe 25 "big ants." When I ran outside, I saw the remains of camponotus queens in the pavement!

[Gregory2455]

Wow Pheidole... You have some bad luck!

[AntsAreUs]

My family are not really what you call "ant lovers." Once, my dad was outside doing yard work. When he came back in for lunch he said that he squished maybe 25 "big ants." When I ran outside, I saw the remains of camponotus queens in the pavement!

[Mathiacus]

Great comeback crystal. Pheidole, that is painful to read!

[William. T]

Yeah. It is.

[DesertAntz]

My family was really interested when I first started last year. Although I know my grandpa routinely poisons anthills every season  he's an old school Vietnam vet who doesn't play around with insects

[William. T]

Yeah. All these new fangled chemicals. Everyday we talk about pandas, dolphins, elephants, and manatees, but no seems to talk about ants. Anywhere you can buy a vat of toxins and spray it around as you please. These poisons do not just target ants. Many animals are killed as the toxins move up the food chain. I know about a man in my neighborhood when I lived in NC that sprayed these poisons all over the place to get rid of RIFA. He told me that he wanted to help the environment, because there RIFA, an invasive species. He killed many insects in the process. I would find dead butterflies and beetles in the areas he sprayed. It's like complaining about water pollution when you are dumping garbage in the river. You can even buy ant hill casts on eBay! Although some people only cast dying colonies, some irresponsible people target thriving colonies. Living animals as souvenirs?! It's a wonder that ants aren't extinct!

[DesertAntz]

 It's a wonder that ants aren't extinct!

They were here before us, and I'm sure they'll still be here when we're gone 

[LAnt]

Sport hunting.

[Mathiacus]

I target thriving colonies for my collections.

[Mathiacus]

He went looking for them again, they have moved on 😡 replaced by a small Camponotus species. Another workmate says he has tarsata in his yard so we will see how that turns out.