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Ant Mega-Colony Covers the World
Deag writes "A mega colony of one family of ants has spread all over the world. Previous mega colonies in California, Europe and Japan have been shown to be in fact one global colony.
Ants from the smaller super-colonies were always aggressive to one another. So ants from the west coast of Japan fought their rivals from Kobe, while ants from the European super-colony didn't get on with those from the Iberian colony.
But whenever ants from the main European and Californian super-colonies and those from the largest colony in Japan came into contact, they acted as if they were old friends."
In the case of Argentine ants, boric acid powder (cheap at the hw store) plus syrup has worked fairly well for me.
Sometimes they want fat instead of sugar, use peanut butter instead of syrup. Don't overdo the boric acid or they won't bite.
Just goog for recipes.
Interesting article on NYT recently http://judson.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/operator-can-you-put-me-through-to-ant-nest-251/?ref=science
I'm perfect in every way, except for my humility.
There's one that always works for me:
boiling water, a whole pot, straight down the hole
"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
I find a good way to stop them from coming in from under a door is to stick a piece of duct tape across the bottom so that it just touches the floor. The overlords stick to it and won't establish a trail going underneath, which is handy when you're not in a welcoming mood.
That episode was a total rip-off/tribute/remake of the short story Leningen versus the Ants by Carl Stephenson.
This story was in my elementary school reading book the same year that episode originally aired.
http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/lvta.html
There's a perfect xkcd for my sig but I'm too lazy to look it up. sudo someone go find it.
The ant is what happens when a species finds a niche and becomes so exquisitely adapted to it that further evolution is almost always detrimental. For a short time genetic change remains advantageous so long as it results in less genetic change. So you get the whole "single queen" reproductive model. The fact that ants have not completely lost their ability to sexually reproduce indicates that some advantage is still to be gained by it, but its most likely more about passing on antibodies than it is genes.
How we know is more important than what we know.
It was about 55 years ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Them! My kids loved it...
"I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
I disagree. Here's my citation:
"Is it Duct or Duck? We donâ(TM)t want you to be confused, so we will explain. The first name for Duct Tape was DUCK. During World War II the U.S. Military needed a waterproof tape to keep the moisture out of ammunition cases. So, they enlisted the Johnson and Johnson Permacel Division to manufacture the tape. Because it was waterproof, everyone referred to it as âoeduckâ tape (like water off a duckâ(TM)s back). Military personnel discovered that the tape was good for lots more than keeping out water. They used it for Jeep repair, fixing stuff on their guns, strapping equipment to their clothing... the list is endless.
After the War, the housing industry was booming and someone discovered that the tape was great for joining the heating and air conditioning duct work. So, the color was changed from army green to the silvery color we are familiar with today and people started to refer to it as âoeduct tape*.â Therefore, either name is appropriate."
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Another Source
"The original use was to keep moisture out of the ammunition cases. Because it was waterproof, people referred to the tape as "Duck Tape." Also, the tape was made using cotton duck - similar to what was used in their cloth medical tapes. Military personnel quickly discovered that the tape was very versatile and used it to fix their guns, jeeps, aircraft, etc. After the war, the tape was used in the booming housing industry to connect heating and air conditioning duct work together.
Soon, the color was changed from Army green to silver to match the ductwork and people started to refer to duck tape as "Duct Tape." Things changed during the 1970s, when the partners at Manco, Inc. placed rolls of duct tape in shrink wrap, making it easier for retailers to stack the sticky rolls. Different grades and colors of duct tape werenÂt far behind. Soon, duct tape became the most versatile tool in the household. "
Tell the moon dogs, tell the March hare
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth#Pest_control
Pessimists.net - as if life wasn't depressing enough.