Do Ants Ever Die?

Rog, fond memories of the Palmetto bug? I had no idea that your family lived in Miami. Well, you'll sorta be coming home, then.

Bill, I don't think fire ants have natural enemies, but I have often wondered why the dragonfly has been called a snakedoctor. They do come in from the West Coast when the wind is blowing that way. They have a feast on lots of insects that are bothersome like the noseeums, those tiny little gnats that can create a lot of havoc with your head and other exposed parts of the body.

Oh, my gorsh, I just heard a couple of red-headed woodpeckers doin' morse code on my metal guttering...

Hey, at least they aren't 'Crazy Ants'

http://www.wilderness.org.au/member/tws/projects/Christmas_Island/ants_ci.html

Yikes, cav. Them ants is crazier than them Tasmanian Devils.

Lotta folks from Toronto on A2K. Glad to know there's a chef who fancies caviar amongst the lot.

great link, seriously. Thanks.

Ants in the steam iron, no kidding I thought I was rid of them all and yesterday afternoon I had to press a skirt. I kept hearing this popping and crackling sound and I thought the iron was shorting out. When I opened the water refill there must have been ten gazillion tiny eeny ants in there. I flood them out with hot water. Sheesh why are they doing this to me?

Well, THOSE ants must surely be dead, Joanne! I imagine they were thirsty, and one of them found the water. Did you know they have special "scout" ants, who tend to forage more widely and lay down a scent path for the less adventurous? Poor little things ...."and all our yesterays have led to steamy death..out, out, brief candle..."

Joanne, ants in your steam iron--ants in my coffee pot--

Deb, Even Shakespeare had ants, and uncles, and cousins by the dozens.

I had a great Ant Molly, I'm told. She must have been a real swinger for her day.

When I lived in Montreal, I had roaches in my coffee maker and my microwave Not pleasant...

This thread is making me hungry.

In Ghana, there are many fine insect dishes, including many for ants. At the Insectarium in Montreal, they can be sampled. Coincidentally, the chef is from Ghana.

Cav, no, not pleasant.

Slappy, perhaps Cav will share some of his caviar with you. That stuff will camouflage anything.

Heh heh, I know this isn't the food forum, but with Slappy's comment, I couldn't resist....here is a recipe for 'Red Ant Chutney', from India, an item I don't suppose you will find at your local takeaway or Indian grocery. Sorry, there are no measurements

"Ants are collected in leaf cups and put directly into the hot ashes of the fire for a few minutes. The ants are then removed and ground into a paste. Salt and ground chilis are added and the mixture is baked. It is said to have 'a sharp clean taste' and is often eaten with alcoholic drinks or used with curries."

From "Unmentionable Cuisine", Calvin W. Schwabe

Seriously, who looks at a f'n ant, and says, "that'll make a meal?"

I wonder what the hell is wrong with some people.

Like I should talk.

I love chutney.

Slappy, the same people who eat snakes, and snails, and lobster tails; that's who eats ants in their pate.

Another possibility, you love chocolate;
sooooooo........ coat em, and DIY

Hmmmmmm. Bo. Seems to me there is a delicacy know as chocolate covered grasshoppers. If you could see the grasshoppers that feed off bayonet bushes here in Florida. grotesque. Suddenly I am tremendously thankful that I am not allowed chocolate.

Slappy, I would suspect anteaters do as well

Oh, and I have eaten snakes, snails and lobster tails, but no ants. There is another delicacy in China involving a poisonous ant....they are put alive on this cone-shaped thing covered with sticky stuff and the diners pick them off off with chopsticks and eat them. There is a trick though...you have to pull them off in a certain way, and avoid the poison part. Sort of a macho thing, methinks. I always wondered what those non-English signs meant in Chinese restaurants....

letty, letty, letty;
it's the "ants" that aren't allowed chocolate!!

OK
anecdote time;

many, many, many, many (that's many manys), years ago, a neighbor of mine who was married to a plumber went with him to Manilla (shows how many many) to teach plumbing to the locals, on some sort of exchange programme.
She was telling me after she returned of how the first thing she noticed was how many ants there were.......everywhere!
The worst part to her was that they were constantly getting into the food, not just in the kitchen, but into what you were eating.
She said that the people there seemed to be oblivious to them, and just accepted their ubiquitous presence as a part of the "way things are".
She then told me about her "going away" tea party with the local neighbors; she said she lifted her teacup to take a sip as always, and noticed an ant floating around in the tea. She said at this stage, her "native" reaction was to murmer you better get out of there to the ant, and continue drinking!

Bo, oh!

Manilla Vinalla--sounds like the name of a rock group. Your friend sounds as though she knew the art of adaptation.

Soooooooooooooooooo. We all agree that the best way to get rid of ants, is to eat 'em.