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Swarming Ants Destroy Electronics in Texas

Posted by timothy on from the where's-tiny-ender-when-you-need-him dept.

AntOverlords writes "Voracious swarming ants that apparently arrived in Texas aboard a cargo ship are invading homes and yards across the Houston area, shorting out electrical boxes and messing up computers. They have ruined pumps at sewage pumping stations, fouled computers and at least one homeowner's gas meter, and caused fire alarms to malfunction. They have been spotted at NASA's Johnson Space Center and close to Hobby Airport, though they haven't caused any major problems there yet."

27 of 328 comments (clear)

  1. Ob. post by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Funny

    I for one welcome our swarming ant overlords - just so long as they stay in YOUR neighborhood.

    1. Re:Ob. post by dextromulous · · Score: 3, Funny

      This is probably the closest we'll ever come to the situation that prompted Kent Brockman to say "And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords" and you go and screw it up! Hand in your nerd card, please. Hail ants!

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: those who divide people into two types and those who don't.
  2. Blame Apache by dintech · · Score: 4, Funny

    The ants are finally tired of building my Java code for me I see.

  3. It was only a matter of time ... by Falstius · · Score: 4, Funny

    Biological cyber warefare! Did anyone check their heads for lasers?

    1. Re:It was only a matter of time ... by Yvan256 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Don't be silly. These are ants, not sharks.

  4. Undocumented insects by Malevolent+Tester · · Score: 4, Funny

    They're just destroying the electronics that American ants won't.

    --
    If you haven't made a developer cry, you've wasted a day.
  5. Treat that with penecillin by Critical+Facilities · · Score: 5, Funny

    "paratrenicha species near pubens"

    Is it just me, or does that sound like some type of STD?
    1. Re:Treat that with penecillin by Rob+the+Bold · · Score: 4, Funny

      No, more like a sexually transmitted parasite.
      It's a baby, you insensitive clod!
      --
      I am not a crackpot.
  6. Re:Invasive Species by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yet another fine example of invasive species coming to the mainland on improperly inspected container cargo.

    Fire ants, Killer bees, Chestnut blight, Dutch Elm Disease, Sudden Oak Death (all invasive and here because of lax monitoring). You forgot Europeans from that list.
  7. rhedi_phredi by rhedi_phredi · · Score: 3, Funny

    But do they eat paper ballots as well as Diebold voting machines?

  8. Re:Everytime something like this happens... by Malevolent+Tester · · Score: 5, Funny

    Small swarming animals are very much in advantage here Fortunately, there are a limited number of Welshmen in the world.
    --
    If you haven't made a developer cry, you've wasted a day.
  9. Re:First computer bug by dotancohen · · Score: 5, Funny

    You must be new here He's an ant.
    --
    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
  10. Re:Happens all the time Mexico by dotancohen · · Score: 3, Funny

    TFA says that the ants come from Caribean areas, so Mexico would be on the way as well. After reading TFA I'm a little worried for the people in the area, this looks like the start of something major. Typhoon, earthquake, killer ants, what next? Better get Bruce Willis to start astronaut training real soon.

    --
    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
  11. Re:Serious Problem by spikedvodka · · Score: 3, Funny

    Serious Problem: Posting on /. Before Coffee

    News at 11

    --
    I will not give in to the terrorists. I will not become fearful.
  12. Stupid Ants ... by HW_Hack · · Score: 4, Funny

    don't they know about not messing with Texas

    --
    Its not the years, its the mileage .....
  13. Locusts by drooling-dog · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think that "acts of God" applies specifically to locusts...

  14. Re:Happened to me by AceJohnny · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've now had to resort to drawing circles of protection around my electronics with insecticide chalk to keep the damn critters out... I draw pentagrams. Keeps ants and demons away!
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    Misleading titles? Inflammatory blurbs? Keep in mind that Slashdot is a tabloid.
  15. Whoops, There Goes Another ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    My god, will no one think of the rubber tree plants!?

  16. Re:Everytime something like this happens... by Ihmhi · · Score: 4, Funny

    and because they can reproduce in a more flexible way.

    Hey! We humans can reproduce in many flexible ways. ^.~

    --
    Random Thoughts From A Diseased Mind (Not For Dummies)
  17. Re:Serious Problem by street+struttin' · · Score: 3, Funny

    Oh, ok. So we just need to make cold computers. How hard could that be?

  18. Re:Uhmmm... by hyades1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    "They are the size of fleas but they eat ladybugs? How does that work, exactly?"

    The key word here is "they". It's plural. I eat cows...but not by myself.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  19. Re:Smug New Englander by PeanutButterBreath · · Score: 4, Funny

    I live in new england, Massachusetts, the next town over from Boston. It gets below zero (F) in the winter, and gets above 100 (F) in the summer. It rains a lot. It has heat waves. Thanks for the warning. I'll just deal with the ants.

  20. Re:First computer bug by IronMagnus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Anyone find it interesting that one "Grace Hopper" reported that... dangerously similar to Grass Hopper... its an entire insect conspiracy!!!

  21. Re:Happened to me by Bazer · · Score: 4, Funny

    I would too but the last time I did it, my BSD died.

  22. Re:First computer bug by dotancohen · · Score: 4, Funny

    A male alate (winged ant)? If just a regular worker ant, then a female. All worker ants are females. I'll give you a hint. [S]He's posting at /.. The male:female ratio here rivals the matter:antimatter ratio of tapwater.
    --
    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
  23. Re:Serious Problem by The_Unforgiven · · Score: 5, Funny

    Uh, excuse me, I think you mean "anal". :)

    --
    http://wsulug.org
  24. Re:First computer bug by dotancohen · · Score: 4, Funny

    Then what makes them female? You don't see them posting here, do you?
    --
    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.