They might have properties of a material that would interest an engineer, but I’m still not putting on a shirt made of fire ants.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
They might have properties of a material that would interest an engineer, but I’m still not putting on a shirt made of fire ants.
Speaking of fire ants, “Don’t touch the floating fire ant colonies. They will ruin your day.“
Chicken.
@blf- those pics of the floating ants in Houston are really creepy.
And yet, what puzzles me most is why they chose the “Outline of the Post-War New World Map” to show the spread of fire ants, at around 1:00.
I, for one, welcome our new … um … pismirey … overlords.
Those!
The science behind Houston’s fire ant flotillas ((auto-play?) video): “Houston has experienced an unexpected[†] side-effect of the floods that have hit the Texan city — floating islands made up of thousands of venomous fire ants. The naturally aggressive ants are able to survive the rising water by forming rafts with their own bodies, and can survive for weeks before breaking up”. The science is a bit light, but still very interesting.
† Not exactly “unexpected”. The phenomena is well-known (at least to myrmecologists), and was also observed after Katrina(?).
@blf
How long do you think we’ll have to wait before we hear about someone in Houston being mauled by these little fuckers?
emergence@8, To the best of my knowledge, hair furor currently has no plans to visit Houston.
The people overcome by the flooding in Texas, and now Louisiana and Arkansas an all along the trail of Harvey, are well advised to carry large bottles of Dawn dish soap or an equivalent.
Soap will cut the surface tension of water that allows these nasty critters to do what they do. They are, in fact, covered in a wax-like, hydrophobic layer that enables this kind of behavior.
The little bastards will collectively sink and properly drown, serving their evil asses justly.
So I have heard . . .
Crudely Wrott!!!
How are you?
@Crudely Wrott
Or fight fire ants with fire, and carry bottles of dish soap and Dave’s Insanity Sauce.
Hello, Chigau!!!
I’m mostly OK and a little the worse off.
Lots of changes lately and I feel old and tired. I don’t get around much anymore* but I can still lurk.
I hope you are well and full of vim and vigor. That would help offset my lack thereof. Love and hugs to you.
*there’s a song in there somewhere, I seem to recall.
Crudely Wrott
Hugs back.
I have not much vigor any more.
Have you looked in on Caine’s blog?