We Have Ants in Our House…On Purpose.
So how bad have things gotten during quarantine in our house? So bad we’ve INVITED venomous, biting insects into our home…FOR “FUN!”
OK, so maybe I’m sensationalizing it a bit (I am a member of the media after all, isn’t it my job?! Just kidding, don’t e-mail me). We ordered an ant farm for our two kids to observe. My son has been getting into creepy-crawlies lately, so we thought he’d enjoy watching a few dozen Western Harvester Ants tunnel around and see how the individuals work together to accomplish their goals (teaching moment!).
I did a bit of research on these not-so-little guys, and DAAAANG! These are some serious insects! In the wild, mature colonies can wipe out enough crops from an area to be deemed an “a severe ecological and economic burden.” Oh, and “they have a painful and venomous sting.” Yeah, exactly what I want in my house as I sleep!
So what’s the over/under on amount of days it takes for one of my toddler kids to knock that dad-gum thing over or for ME to forget to seal the top after feeding and watering (yes, you have to feed and water the ants!). Safe to say I have more than just a little anxiety.
Honestly though, it’s quite fascinating watching them work as a unit. It’s really neat to watch one individual ant mosey down to the bottom of a tunnel, grab a tiny piece of sand, fight her (they are all females – but we know how that worked out for Jurassic Park…) way back up among the other dozen ants, then go back and do it again…and again…and again. They really are amazing creatures. As long as they keep their tiny, biting mandibles inside that farm where they belong!
