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The terrifying science behind floating fire ant colonies and how to destroy them
The terrifying science behind floating fire ant colonies — and how to destroy them
By Christopher Ingraham August 30 at 12:02 PM
In addition to widespread suffering and devastation, Hurricane Harvey has brought a plague of floating fire ants to the Houston region.
“Floodwaters will not drown fire ants,” explains Paul Nester, an extension specialist at Texas A&M, in a pamphlet titled “Flooding and Fire Ants: Protecting Yourself and Your Family.” Instead, entire colonies of the aggressive biting insects — eggs, larvae and all — will “emerge from the soil, form a loose ball, float, and flow with the water until they reach a dry area or object they can crawl up on.”
For the uninitiated, a fire ant resembles a regular ant in roughly the same way a wolf resembles a golden retriever. They're aggressive, territorial and venomous. Among vulnerable individuals, their stings can be fatal. “Most people hate fire ants without reservation,” Florida State University entomologist Walter Tschinkel wrote in a book about the insects in 2006.
Here's what a fire ant raft looks like, in a brief video captured earlier this week by Houston Chronicle reporter Mike Hixenbaugh:
....
Christopher Ingraham writes about politics, drug policy and all things data. He previously worked at the Brookings Institution and the Pew Research Center. Follow @_cingraham
By Christopher Ingraham August 30 at 12:02 PM
In addition to widespread suffering and devastation, Hurricane Harvey has brought a plague of floating fire ants to the Houston region.
“Floodwaters will not drown fire ants,” explains Paul Nester, an extension specialist at Texas A&M, in a pamphlet titled “Flooding and Fire Ants: Protecting Yourself and Your Family.” Instead, entire colonies of the aggressive biting insects — eggs, larvae and all — will “emerge from the soil, form a loose ball, float, and flow with the water until they reach a dry area or object they can crawl up on.”
For the uninitiated, a fire ant resembles a regular ant in roughly the same way a wolf resembles a golden retriever. They're aggressive, territorial and venomous. Among vulnerable individuals, their stings can be fatal. “Most people hate fire ants without reservation,” Florida State University entomologist Walter Tschinkel wrote in a book about the insects in 2006.
Here's what a fire ant raft looks like, in a brief video captured earlier this week by Houston Chronicle reporter Mike Hixenbaugh:
Link to tweet
....
Christopher Ingraham writes about politics, drug policy and all things data. He previously worked at the Brookings Institution and the Pew Research Center. Follow @_cingraham
