ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSS

I am officially sick of the tiny little ants that invade everywhere. When I got home last night there was a whole swarm of them all over the table because someone left grapes out. My snake boxes have to be lined with (non toxic) mite powder, because the little buggers will make colonies in the substrate. (it's happened twice now. HATE.) When I wash the parrots' food cups each night, especially their veggie cups, there are invariably ants in them.

We never had these before about 2 1/2 years ago, either. Nor did we have garden slugs or the wierd pinkish weed growing on top of the pond. I worry about my delicate, specialized redwood ecosystem over here. Especially as it turns out that these guys are from Argentina, all derived from one accidental introduction in New Orleans. They've spread. And because they are so closely related, they BEHAVE AS ONE SUPER-COLONY, eradicating native ants and all sorts of other things in their wake. (see especially the second link below).

And it occurs to me that I have not seen our native redwood ahnts, which are big slow things who have never ventured into the house, in quite some time. I'll keep a close eye for them this summer, but I'm worried.

http://www-biology.ucsd.edu/news/article_072703.html
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ww0403.htm


( And a meme: are you spoiled? )