Posted by David Carpenter on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 03:35 PM
Life Among the Ants
It’s a safe bet that Mark Moffett, aka “The Indiana Jones of Entomology”, has some good travel stories up his sleeve.
Moffett, author of Adventures Among Ants, has been at the scene of driver ant raids in Nigeria, watched leafcutter ants grow fungus farms in Paraguay and weaver ants build foliage nests in Malaysia, and stood at the front lines of the world’s largest battlefield, a territory dispute between two ant empires in suburban San Diego.
Fascinated by their amazingly organized social structures, Moffett has tracked down, studied, and photographed ant societies on almost every continent. In his book, he describes a spectacular “ant garden” in Peru’s forest canopy, that two species of ants had built together:
“Nestled in this mass of epiphytes, a confederation of these two ants had constructed a quarter-meter-wide treetop house of carton, papery sheets they produced by masticating plant matter and soil. The workers then collected seeds and embedded them in the carton. There the seeds grew into cacti, bromeliads, figs, orchids, philodendrons, and anthuriums, creating a bounteous garden.”
As for the countless ant stings he’s received over the years, Moffett said in a Fresh Air interview, “I don’t take them personally.”
Atlas Obscura, the website that explores the world’s strange and curious places, has a new video series called “So There I Was”, that features people talking about their most outlandish travel experiences. The first video stars Moffett, who tells us what happened when he and some fellow travelers got lost on Cambodia’s backroads. Here’s the Atlas Obscura video:
Source: http://www.ucpress.edu/blog/?p=10184
Visit the
Clark Pest Blog or visit
ClarkPest.com to learn more.
Posted by Fred Speer on Fri, Jul 16, 2010 @ 08:57 AM
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 07.14.10
The Telegraph shows the completed image of, interestingly enough, someone with a gun. The paper reports that the 32-year-old used tweezers to place the dead ants to form the picture.
Trueman's inspiration for the piece was a childhood experience of when he first knowingly tried to kill something, which was a hill of red ants when he was five years old. Apparently he figured he'd kill a bunch more to make the memory into an artistic statement. Luckily, Trueman does feel some remorse for his work of corpses.
He said: "It took several years, not because of the actual labour, but because at one point I started to feel bad about killing all of the ants and I stopped the project for over a year.
"Then I decided that the first ants would have died in vain if I didn't finish the work so I decided to continue.
"It was also quite an expensive work to produce each shipment of ants would cost $500."
Considering most people have used a can of Raid at least once in their life to get rid of a trail of ants streaming through their kitchen, it's understandable to blow off this strange art piece as a rather eccentric medium. But also considering we're working hard to make the planet a thriving and healthy place for all species, knocking off 200,000 ants for an artistic statement is a very sad waste of life. Could he have explored the same moment in life without actually killing 200,000 ants?
If anything, the piece makes viewers consider why they value some lifeforms more than others. And, of course, "What would PETA say?"
Oh, and the most recent buyer of the work? You could probably guess...
Ripley's Believe It or Not.
Visit the
Clark Pest Blog or visit
ClarkPest.com to learn more.
Posted by Fred Speer on Fri, Apr 23, 2010 @ 01:15 PM
Source: PCT (Pest Control Technology)
The first time they were spotted in the United States, in 2002, it was clear that these insects were different. They looked different and certainly behaved differently - erratically. And then, these cargo ship stowaways began multiplying - exponentially. As thousands, millions and then billions of them scurried about foraging for food, we discovered the impending danger.
Houston, we have a problem.
Actually, the problem goes well beyond Houston today, as Rasberry crazy ants have pillaged their way through at least 14 Texas counties in addition to infesting the nation's fourth-largest city. Their favorite target? Electronics. Tiny enough to squeeze through minute cracks and crevices, these ants tend to cluster inside computers, shorting out circuits as they traipse over microchips. A major chemical company projects damages from this invasive pest to top $1 billion in its operations, and, had the Johnson Space Center not sought special consideration in its fight against the "crazies" in 2008, the critters could have feasibly brought NASA to its knees as well.
This is only one piece of a much broader story. Invasive pests are clearly a growing challenge to the pest management industry, and the more you know about how to handle them, the stronger your defense will be.
BACK TO BASICS.
A good starting point for learning about invasive pests is reviewing the definition of "invasive species." A species is a specific population of organisms, morphologically and genetically distinct from other organisms, and capable of interbreeding. As opposed to a native, or indigenous, species, an invasive species is one that is introduced to an area from another place and then adapts to its new environment and spreads.
We don't invite them. We don't want them. And, as a general rule, we don't become familiar with them until they're right under our noses.
Click here to read the entire article
Visit the
Clark Pest Blog or visit
ClarkPest.com to learn more.
Posted by Fred Speer on Fri, Apr 16, 2010 @ 03:49 PM
There are times when I feel compelled to brag about living in the Garden State. Like it is my civic duty to point out some of the qualities of New Jersey that go unrecognized by ignorant acquaintances who still think it is funny to identify where I live by a particular Turnpike exit.
“We have really large ants in New Jersey,” I tell some startled out-of-town house guests recently. I say this proudly as a few annoying ghost dots flitter openly across our kitchen floor. “They like the flooded basements in March and the hot sweltering days in early April,” I say like a knowledgeable tour guide. “They drive up from the shore to the suburbs to get some R&R before summer.”
Everyone, especially my wife, is disgusted by the unexpected influx of ants, but I stick to my story because I haven’t figured out how to effectively drive them from the house. The ants I mean.
“Bait traps won’t work on Jersey ants,” I say. “This has something to do with their prolonged exposure to Radon under ground. That’s also why they run so fast; they have two extra legs. Exterminators are afraid of them”.
Of course, I am just making this up, but part of the beauty of living in New Jersey is that people outside the state will believe almost anything at all if it reinforces a negative stereotype. Don’t believe me? Try telling your friends in the Midwest or in California or Colorado that New Jersey is lush and beautiful and see what kind of response you get. Now try telling them that New Jersey is known for its ants.
“They have really big hair, too.” I say for good measure.
Click here to read the entire article
Visit the
Clark Pest Blog or visit
ClarkPest.com to learn more.
Posted by Fred Speer on Fri, Apr 09, 2010 @ 01:42 PM
|
Insects Set To Surge, Thanks To Active El Niño Weather Pattern
|
(NAPSI)-El Niño-the wet- weather pattern blamed for this winter's record snowfall in the East and mudslides in the West-is expected to wreak more havoc this summer with a surge in insects. Just how bad your pest problem will be depends on several factors, explained Dr. Bob Davis, entomologist and scientist with BASF, the world's largest chemical company. Dr. Davis offered the following pest problem outlook for specific U.S. regions. The South With its hot, humid summers and temperate winters, the South offers ideal conditions for a wide range of pests, including many species of ant. Ant populations are expected to grow across the South this year, bolstered by an influx of foreign invaders, including the "Caribbean crazy ant," which had only recently been seen in Texas but has begun to spread to multiple counties in Southeast Texas and may now be in the neighboring state ofLouisiana. The threat of termite infestations could also intensify this summer, with forecasts predicting average temperatures in Florida,Georgia and other surrounding states and above-average to average precipitation. The West Colder-than-normal temperatures and heavy precipitation hit many areas of the Western states this past winter. February packed a punch of precipitation and, in March, California officials said the average water content in the Sierra mountains' snowpack had reached 107 percent of normal seasonal levels. One frequent menace is the Western subterranean termite. This native pest can enter structures through cracks less than one-thirty-second of an inch wide, including the tiny openings in concrete slabs, around drainpipes and between the slab and a home's foundation. The Midwest States from Missouri to Iowa to Wisconsin saw more flooding last year, with thousands of homes damaged by water. The residual effect this year could be a proliferation of household pests that thrive in damp conditions, such as silverfish and spiders. Moisture also increases the odds for termite invasions, especially in Midwestern states such as Missouri, Iowa, Ohio,Indiana and Illinois. In the colder Northern-tier states, carpenter ants are a greater threat to homeowners. Carpenter ants prefer to nest in trees and wood next to homes, but they'll come inside to nest if the opportunity arises. The Northeast With record snowfall in the Northeast, wet conditions will likely persist. Combined with the warming temperatures, this will create attractive conditions for a variety of bugs. Common culprits include the Eastern subterranean termite and the black carpenter ant. Click here to read the entire article
|
Visit the
Clark Pest Blog or visit
ClarkPest.com to learn more.
Posted by Fred Speer on Fri, Apr 02, 2010 @ 11:53 AM
ScienceShot: Country Ants Go to Town
By: Gisela Telis on April 1, 2010 3:12 PM 
Photo Credit: Bill Beatty/Visuals Unlimited Inc.
In North American forests, odorous house ants (Tapinoma sessile ) lead quiet lives. The insects-called "odorous" because they smell like a piña colada when crushed-make their homes in hollow acorns and form simple colonies of 50 to 100 workers beneath the sway of a single queen. But as soon as they move on up to cities and suburbs, these mild-mannered ants live large, exploding into complex supercolonies of more than 5 million workers and thousands of queens. The insects also begin to act like an invasive species, robbing other ant species of resources and raiding buildings for food, researchers will report in an upcoming issue of Biological Invasions. Future studies will focus on the odorous ant's genetics, in hopes of learning why urban life turns it into such a swarming bully-and how to stop it.
Visit the
Clark Pest Blog or visit
ClarkPest.com to learn more.
Posted by Fred Speer on Mon, Mar 29, 2010 @ 12:05 PM
Thursday, March 18, 2010
By: NPMA
As the No. 1 nuisance pest in the United States, ants often become a problem in the warmer weather, as they move indoors in search of food.
But homeowners can take proactive steps now to help prevent a major infestation later.
With more than 700 species in the U.S., it's not surprising that ants are a very common home invader. According to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), one of the most destructive species is the carpenter ant, which tunnels through wood to build its nest. These insects, which are found nationwide, tunnel through decaying wood before attacking undamaged wood. A carpenter ant infestation can cause severe property damage, which is usually not covered by homeowners' insurance.
Fire ants are a species found in the southern U.S., usually in landscaped areas, garages and near structural foundations. When their moundlike nests are disturbed, fire ants attack with a painful sting.
The most common home-invading species include odorous and nonodorous house ants and pavement ants. These ants will eat almost anything including fruit, meat and cheese, and can contaminate food sources that they infest.
Click here to read the entire story publichsed by the NPMA
Visit the
Clark Pest Blog or visit
ClarkPest.com to learn more.
Posted by Fred Speer on Fri, Mar 26, 2010 @ 11:59 AM
March 24, 2010 6:51 PM
Chicago Breaking News
Mayor Daley's Dumpster Task Force has closed the American Accord Food Corporation, 9485 S. Ewing Ave., due to an active infestation of mice and ants and other problems.
Task Force inspectors were responding to general complaints in the area related to rodent activity when they visited American Accord which produces ready made meals, according to a news release from the city's Department of Streets and Sanitation. Inspectors found more than 200 mice droppings spread out across the food preparation, storage and receiving areas, officials said.
They also found that the main hand wash sink American Accord Food Corporation was not in sound condition, making it difficult to ensure that employees could keep their hands sanitized. Slime was found in the ice machine and 100 ants were spotted crawling near a grease trap. It was determined that management had not properly maintained a grease disposal container, according to officials.
Click here to read the entire article
Visit the
Clark Pest Blog or visit
ClarkPest.com to learn more.
Posted by Fred Speer on Mon, Mar 01, 2010 @ 11:22 AM
Source: www.qt.com.au
ANY fire ant that crosses Ipsw
ich resident Evan Cordingley's path is one step closer to extinction.
As one of the city's only volunteer Red Fire Ant park rangers, the Flinders View resident works hard to ensure the imported pests don't grow in number.
While the fire ant population has decreased in recent years, Mr Cordingley said it was important Ipswich residents remained vigilant and kept an eye out for the imported pests.
He recently erected several signs around the city to help keep the fire ant message firmly in people's memory.
"They've been out of the media for a few years now, but it's important people don't become complacent to the threat of fire ants," he said.
"Not only are their bites extremely painful and potentially fatal for humans, but they can kill chicks, birds, and even small calves.
"Even with vegetation they can eat seeds planted into the ground and, given the right conditions, can breed quite quickly.
"It's important people don't move soil from suburb to suburb or take things like pot plants interstate to stop fire ants spreading."
The fire ant, a native of South America, was discovered in Brisbane in February 2001.
The largest outbreak in the state occurred around the Wacol/Darra region before spreading into Ipswich and outer suburbs such as Amberley and Purga.
Fire ant populations have decreased in the Ipswich region following successful baiting programs by the Department of Primary Industries.
But with the pests not completely eradicated, Mr Cordingley erected warning signs in Flinders View, East Ipswich, Brassall and West Ipswich.
"They might be down in numbers, but if we do nothing about it that could easily change," he said.
Click here to read the entire article
Visit the
Clark Pest Blog or visit
ClarkPest.com to learn more.
Posted by Fred Speer on Thu, Feb 25, 2010 @ 10:46 AM
Best-Laid Plans Fail to Trap Ants at Academy of Sciences
Source: online.wsj.com
By JIM CARLTON
It took humans about three years and countless hours of planning to rebuild San Francisco's California Academy of Sciences-but less than a year for the leaf cutter ants to figure a way to bust out.
Thousands of ants on exhibit at the museum were put under lockdown last summer after workers discovered they had bored passages inside a feeding tree near their nest in a mock rain forest, which allowed them to flee their enclosure. A new artificial tree has been installed, but officials say the ants will remain locked up for a few more weeks until officials can be sure they don't escape again.
![[SB10001424052748704804204575069924085948974]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-HO858_0218An_OR_20100216161101.jpg)
Getty Images It took leafcutter ants less than a year to escape their enclosure.
"The ants decided they would like to expand their territory-and proved that they were smarter than the humans who designed their display," says Stephanie Stone, an academy spokeswoman.
Much has been written about the wonders of the academy since it reopened in Golden Gate Park in September 2008 after a $500 million revamp. The academy now boasts a state-of-the-art environmental design with a planted "living roof" and popular attractions such as a living coral reef and a four-story tropical rain forest. Almost three million people have visited since the reopening, allowing the nonprofit to break even on expenses, officials say.
Still, academy officials say a few creatures are besting their carefully laid plans. As a result, workers are having to wage a behind-the-scenes battle against some of the museum's 38,000 living specimens...
Click here to read the entire article
Visit the
Clark Pest Blog or visit
ClarkPest.com to learn more.