Army Ant Kabob!

My husband and I went with our four boys to see the movie Chimpanzee on Memorial Day.  This is a Disney documentary with the cutest little chimpanzee!  When we asked them their favorite part of the movie, the overwhelming response was "when the chimpanzees ate the ants."  Let me tell you why these ants were so interesting.



photo courtesy of Mark W. Moffett; national geographic.com

 

 

For starters, look at the pincers on that thing!  These are army ants, and I certainly wouldn't want to cross their path.  The soldier army ant has such strong mandibles, that it can be pulled in two without releasing its hold.  In fact, there are some East African tribes that actually use these ants as emergency sutures by having the ant bite on either side of a gash and then break it's body off.  Talk about natural medicine!

What was so amazing about the images in the movie were the sheer numbers of ants.  Army ants are aggressive foraging groups that overtake an area like a raid.  There can be over a million ants in the colony.  Unlike other ants, army ants do not construct permanent nests.  They build temporary living nests with their own bodies to protect the queen and eggs for a short time.  Then the whole colony moves along its way overtaking almost anything in its path.  Because of the large numbers of ants moving together, a colony can kill and eat up to 100,000 animals in one day, mostly insects and spiders.



Army ants devouring a grasshopper; photo courtesy of Karmesinkoenig; wikipedia.org

So, how did the chimpanzee eat them.  They used their smarts to make a tool out of a stick.  They would find one of the ants' temporary nest and dip the stick into the nest.  Any ants that gathered on their tool became dinner.  The chimpanzees seemed to enjoy them, but my guys weren't so sure when we asked if they wanted ants on a stick for dinner!

Beware of the Caterpillar!

Not too long ago, my boys along with some friends down the street, found a caterpillar in our yard.  It provided fun for everyone as they passed it around and all took turns holding it.  The above picture is the caterpillar crawling on our neighbor's shoe.  Why are we so fascinated with caterpillars?  Had this been a spider, we would not have been anywhere close to it!  I think knowing that one day it will be a beautiful butterfly makes caterpillars so likable.

I decided to do a little research on caterpillars to see if they really are as harmless as we tend to think.  For the most part, they are, but I did learn some interesting things.

Caterpillars are rich in protein making them food for many animals.  I think I'll get my protein from other means, though!  In order to protect themselves, they have evolved various means of defense.

• Some use their appearance to ward off predators.  Markings and certain body parts can make the caterpillar seem poisonous or bigger in size, making it more threatening and non-edible.

 Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar

photo courtesy of tulane.edu

• Some are actually poisonous and can shoot acid.
• Some have long "whip-like" organs that they can wiggle to frighten away flies.
• Some blend in by resembling the plants on which they feed by their color or by mimicking plant parts such as thorns.

Saddleback Caterpillar

photo courtesy of Gerald J. Lenhard; insectimages.org

• Some use a silk line to drop themselves off of branches when disturbed.
• Some have spiny bristles that can get lodged in the skin or mucous membranes.

Costa Rican Hairy Caterpillar

photo courtesy of David M. Jensen (Storkk); wikipedia.org

• Some have bristles associated with venom glands, called urticating hairs.  While most of these only produce mild irritation to dermatitis, this is not the case for the caterpillar of the South American silk moth.  Its venom is an anticoagulant that is powerful enough to cause a human to hemorrhage to death!  This venom is among the most potent defensive chemicals in any animal. 

South American Silk Moth Caterpillar

photo on www.cmaj.ca;  courtesy of Roberto Pinto Moraes (Butantan Institute)

Ant Wars

I found the above mound in my yard.  This belongs to pavement ants, who typically make their nests in cracks in driveways and sidewalks.  This mound was just over from my driveway.  Pavement ants are small (about 1/8 in) and brown to black in color.  They have 2 spines and parallel lines on the head and thorax.

Pavement Ant-photo courtesy of markleyspest.com

Pavement ants eat most anything, including insects, seeds, and honeydew.  They can be found in homes looking for food.  They will typically be seen foraging at the bottom of baseboards. 

The below picture shows a common location for pavement ants.  You've likely seen one of these mounds before:

photo courtesy of creaturecontrol.net

Pavement ants are very aggressive to members of their own species.  In the spring, you might see neighboring colonies engaging in territorial "wars."  Your driveway becomes a battlefield as opposing colonies try to push each other back to take more territory.

Territorial War; photo courtesy of antsbeesbutterfliesnature.blogspot.com

 

Ear what?

One of our technicians recently told me he has seen a lot of earwigs lately.  I don't know about you, but that name is just funny to me.  I can't help but picture an ear in my mind with a red, curly, Napoleon Dynamite-type wig sitting on it.  Well, here is what an earwig actually is:



male earwig-photo courtesy of animal.discovery.com

The scientific name is Greek for "skin" and "wing", but the common name earwig comes from the Old English words for "ear" and "insect".  There's an old wives tale that earwigs burrowed into the brains of people through the ear while they were sleeping and laid their eggs there.  The truth is they prefer dark, damp areas rather than the typical bedroom, and they lay their eggs under rocks or damp wood.  However, I did find this picture and couldn't resist!

photo courtesy of aboutpest.com

The common earwig was introduced into North America in the early 1900s from Europe.  They tend to be more common in the southern and southwestern states.  Earwigs are nocturnal and hide in small, moist crevices during the day.  They feed on a wide variety of insects and plants.  Although earwigs have wings, they rarely use their flying ability. 

The most distinguishing feature of earwigs is a pair of forceps pincers protruding from their abdomen.  The pincers are used to capture prey and defend themselves.  In males, the pincers are curved (see top photo), while females have straight pincers (see below).  Although they cause little harm to humans, I don't think I want those pincers anywhere near me! 

female earwig-photo courtesy of ArtMechanic; wikipedia.org

Mosquitoes-"Little Flies"

Aedes aegypti; image from ucrtoday.ucr.edu; photo credit:USDA

Did you know that "mosquito" is Spanish for "little fly"? 

There have been over 3,500 species of mosquitoes found throughout the world, and mosquitoes transmit some of the most harmful human and livestock diseases.

The families of mosquitoes that we mostly deal with are the Aedes and Culex.

The Aedes family of mosquitoes were originally found in tropical and subtropical areas, but they are now found on all continents except Antarctica.  Aedes mosquitoes typically have black and white stripe markings on their body and legs.  The name "aedes" comes from the Ancient Greek word meaning "unpleasant."  These mosquitoes are transmitters of dengue fever and yellow fever.

Aedes albopictus (or Asian Tiger Mosquito); wikipedia.org; photo credit: James Gathany/CDC

The culex family of mosquitoes are transmitters of West Nile Virus, malaria, and encephalitis.  They are brown in color and are found throughout the tropics and lower latitudes of temperate regions, such as the Southern US.

Culex mosquito; image from extension.entm.perdue.edu

 
Not all mosquitoes transmit disease.  Also, not all species are bloodsuckers.  Even in bloodsucking species, only the females suck blood.  They need the blood as a source of protein for egg development.  Adult females lay eggs in standing water, near the water's edge, or attach their eggs to aquatic plants.  Eggs grow into larvae (often called "wigglers" or "wrigglers), larvae grow to pupae (called "tumblers"), and pupae grow into adults.  Adult mosquitoes usually mate within a few days after emerging from the pupal stage.  In most species, the males form large swarms, and the females fly into the swarms to mate.

Do you ever wonder why some people seem to get bit by mosquitoes a lot, and some hardly ever get bit?  Mosquitoes can sense carbon dioxide, lactic acid, and heat.  They are also attracted to certain chemicals in sweat.  Last weekend, we were outside for a few minutes and one of my boys got eaten up with bites, while the others were hardly touched.  If you find yourself with a mosquito bite, wash the area with mild soap and water.  Then avoid scratching!

To reduce the number of mosquitoes around, get rid of any stagnant water that could be a breeding ground.  Some good deterrents are mosquito nets, window screens, and repellent containing DEET.  Citronella oil has also been effective in high concentrations. 

Grayson Day 2012!

I love spring in the south!  One day I always look forward to is Grayson Day.  This past Saturday was the 33rd annual Grayson Day, and it was fabulous!  Sunny and clear skies all day.  The Grayson Park looks like a sea of tents.  You can find a little of everything there: businesses, churches, craft vendors, food vendors, children's activities, and even live entertainment.  

This year, we were excited to have our Mid-Georgia Pest Control booth along with our landscaping division, Prime Maintenance turf management.  

It is such fun to watch all the people, and we enjoyed talking with those that stopped by to see us.  This year's big attractions were our tarantula and lizard.  The children especially are full of wonder as they watch them.  

  

We are so honored to be a part of such a great community.  If you missed it this year, make plans now for next April.  We hope you will stop by to see us!