I was feeling a little down about an ongoing issue with our air conditioner thing when MLB arrived at home for lunch bearing a large gift sack. “Here…this is from Janet and Chuck,” she said, handing me the sack which was overflowing with tissue paper. I dug in and was delighted to find the critter pictured below:
Janet claims to be a frequent reader of the Gazette, which surprises me because she’s normally quite level-headed and sensible.
Anyway, while the “Wire Ant” is undeniably cool, I appreciate even more the fact that they thought about me while doing some shopping in the quaint little burg of Greune, down in the Texas Hill Country. In addition, the Wire Ant will provide excellent company to Spike Ant (shown at right), who was only recently rescued from some overly aggressive blue rug juniper in our backyard planter. Spike is in definite need of some bodywork, but, then, aren’t we all?
Many thanks to mi amigos Janet and Chuck for the ferrous Formicdide!
And to those readers who feel that my obsession with fake insects is becoming borderline scary, all I can say is that it’s liable to get worse before it gets better.
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Soooo… will it be the Wire Ant Gazette now?
Ants walking a wire in Greune…
Rats hanging out in the ‘Burg…
I’m growing quite anxious about the weekend…
Jim, nothing will change until I can figure out how to fix my tat. 😉
Sherry, you forgot…Rita romping on the coast…
We just spent all our money on a new a/c anyway…ya’ll might as well stay home…
YLB and I have already had the “Rita romping” conversation. (Umbrella…need I say more?)
Nice try on the whole “staying home” bit though…
Hey, I have only your health and welfare in mind. 😉
Eric, re: “Rita romping on the coast…”
I read a headline in the newspaper that oil went up $4 a barrel on the strength of Rita … or something like that ….
I went home and told MY Rita she should ask her company for a bonus, to show gratitude for the windfall she represented 🙂
Of course, what Gulf rig crews may think of that windfall is something else 🙁
Is it my imagination or are the insects getting bigger? I think it’s time to call in Mr. B.I.G., king of the big bug “B” movies.
http://www.news.uiuc.edu/gentips/03/02bugs.html
I’m sorry, I don’t know what kind of wine goes with ants, but when I googled “fire ant wine,” your blog came up first (as it should). 🙂
I suppose you’ve heard Dave Barry’s schtick on ants? Keep them away from your AC is all I’m sayin, lest those problems get worse before they get better.
Jeff, I think I’d wait a few days before advising Rita on her next public relations move. 😉
Gwynne, I don’t think I know Dave Barry’s take on ants…but it’s obvious that the variety of wine that goes with ’em is — wait for it — red. <rimshot>
Do you have a bunch of little wire aphids or something for those guys to eat?
I’ve never encountered them myself, but I understand they have quite a temper … don’t want them to going hungry…
I put out a box of finishing nails. Surely that will keep them sated for a while.
Just keep them away from the wiring. Even live ants love wiring. I can’t imagine how gluttonous a wire ant might become.
BTW, Spike is awfully cute. Did you make him?
No, I can’t claim creatorship. My blowtorch isn’t big enough to bend a railroad spike, although the rest of him would be pretty easy to fabricate. He’s actually got some siblings, but they’ve been totally obscured by the junipers.
You know, these things don’t usually have just a few siblings. There are likely 10s of 1000s (note my lack of an “‘”) in them there junipers. 🙂
My blowtorch could not make the likes of Spike either, but it makes a mean creme brulee. 🙂