6 ms·

Texans are often regarded as having an affinity for gun ownership. I think that's silly. They clearly should all be packing flame-throwers.

ryanmarsh 9y ago
Who says HN hates humor?
alyandon 9y ago
Indeed. I hate those things and conduct vicious chemical warfare against any nests that pop up in my yard. There is at least one possible upside: Fire ants love to eat ticks. I guess I've learned something new today.
stephenhuey 9y ago
Houstonian here. Apparently all you need is some Dawn soap to break their surface tension! I've always been fascinated by ants since childhood and love watching them, but these floating islands are the worst ambush I can imagine. Good to know they have a kryptonite.
- yourapostasy 9y ago
  Before readers run out and try this, there is a technique and protocol that should be followed, or you won't like the consequences. I'll let a post on /r/natureismetal do the typing for me [1], and here's a copy-pasta for those who don't want to click through (more scientific explanation [2] of why this works within seconds...to make sure around these bastards from hell, I gave 'em two minutes to display proof of death---put a stick in the drowned mass and lift it up---before I moved on to hunting down the next raft): -------- clip here -------- You're all going to love this. It's environmentally friendly, it's inexpensive, it's 100% lethal, and makes them die in the most horrible manner possible. Dish soap. Put a tablespoon or two into a spray bottle, then add about 2-3 cups of water. Swish the water to mix. Do not shake! You don't want foam in the bottle. MOVE. UP. STREAM. Seriously, you don't want to be downstream of this when it happens. Now, starting in the middle of the mass, start spritzing with the soapy water, and work your way out to the edges. The soap will break the surface tension, and act as a wetting agent on the ants. As a result, the water will now start wicking up their bodies, enveloping them like living quicksand. And with the surface tension broken, the mass of ants will start to sink. Remember, start in the middle! This will cause the center to sink first, and drag the edges down last. The ants will all hold on to each other and drag every last one below the surface. With a soft bloop, the entire mass will drop. Remember how I said to move upstream? If you're downstream, the entire submerged mass could end up wrapped around your legs. Where they will immediately begin clawing their way to the surface, using you as a ladder. Best of all, you can scale up your operation, and load a backpack sprayer with a bottle of Dawn and a few gallons of water. Then just wade through your neighborhood, wiping them out for the benefit of everyone! -------- clip here -------- [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/comments/6wkd4j/fireants_create_a_floating_island_of_themselves/dm90hkg/ https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/comments/6wkd4j/firea... [2] https://www.livescience.com/13867-raft-fire-ants-buoyancy-flood-water-repellant-floatation.html https://www.livescience.com/13867-raft-fire-ants-buoyancy-fl...
  - mixmastamyk 9y ago
    For someone out of the area, why would you do such a thing?
    - hguant 9y ago
      Because fire ants are invasive species made of spite.
    - drone 9y ago
      Fire ants are an invasive species which have wrecked havoc on the local ecology and cause serious human harm.
    - munificent 9y ago
      Fire ants are a foreign invasive species in the United states that kill animals, push out native ant species, cause incredibly painful stings, and trigger sometimes-fatal reactions in some people. They are nasty little balls of hate.
      - stephenhuey 9y ago
        Just combine the ruthlessness of Terminators and Aliens, shrink to insect size and multiply by billions.
    - Mz 9y ago
      You have obviously not been bitten by a fire ant. Their name was not inspired by their red color, but by their burning, venomous bites which leave huge weeping pustules. If you are allergic or sensitive, it is worse. If you had ever been bitten, you would understand the desire to kill them if you can, any way you can. (Bonus: According to the article, the floating ant rafts are 165% more venomous than usual. I cannot imagine.)
      - cat199 9y ago
        to put things in some perspective, they do suck, but are not as bad as a bee sting or wasp sting, at least in my opinion. However, you are much more likely to get a bazillion bites, for example if you step in a nest and don't notice it until they are crawling up your leg..
- throw_away 9y ago
  I hear about this solution every time these ant-balls are discussed, but I've yet to see a video despite extensive searching. I've seen countless videos of them floating, but none with them sinking. Has anyone found a video (or else is willing to make one :)?
- cr0sh 9y ago
  It makes me wonder if you couldn't use one of those "foam guns" or something similar to spread a bunch of such soap around? Or maybe whatever system they use to lay fire-fighting foam down at airports? Maybe just fire-fighting foam itself? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefighting_foam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefighting_foam
  - joezydeco 9y ago
    Surfactants don't need much to do their work. A spray bottle with diluted soap would probably start the process of sinking the raft.
- lisper 9y ago
  It doesn't have to be Dawn. Any liquid soap will work.
chrissnell 9y ago
I actually have a friend back home in TX who owns a store that sells flamethrowers. [1] Sadly, his business is in the bulls-eye of Hurricane Harvey flooding. [1] http://www.txmgo.com/index.php/shop/flamethrowers http://www.txmgo.com/index.php/shop/flamethrowers
jjawssd 9y ago
Another alternative is casting a colony with molten metal https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCslpm3Swt7AWO9cJ8c-EZYA https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCslpm3Swt7AWO9cJ8c-EZYA
Mz 9y ago
They clearly should all be packing flame-throwers. When I was growing up in Georgia (last century), we would douse fire ant mounds in gasoline and light it. (This is no doubt illegal now.) We called them ant roasts. /heathen
- artimaeis 9y ago
  Southern resident here - I know of no state laws in the region forbidding pouring flammable substances in/on your ground and igniting it. Still a very satisfying method of ant removal - if not the most effective for long-term removal.
  - Jtsummers 9y ago
    The only thing to be careful of is local fire ordinances and controlled burn reporting. It's a minor issue, probably wouldn't trip you up in most places. But I have known people who burned (small) piles of leaves without reporting and in non-drought conditions end up with fines for their trouble. Very much varies by local rules. If you're in a county in GA you can probably get away with it without trouble.
    - dsfyu404ed 9y ago
      >But I have known people who burned (small) piles of leaves without reporting and in non-drought conditions end up with fines for their trouble. What you really mean is that you know people with neighbors who don't like them and are well connected enough to not fear reprisal.
  - 0xfeba 9y ago
    I'm sure the EPA and local environmental departments have rules against this.
    - freehunter 9y ago
      It's not really any different from a farmer clearing tress and shrubs and burning them in their field. Obviously if you live in the city you probably can't burn without a permit and/or being in a controlled container like a fire pit, but there's a lot of land between cities that doesn't have nearly as restrictive of laws.
cat199 9y ago
who says we aren't?
jobu 9y ago
When the floods come, it only takes a little bit of soap: > Fire ant rafts do have a kryptonite: dish soap. “Dawn is a not a registered insecticide, but it will break up the surface tension and they will sink”
stcredzero 9y ago
Texans are often regarded as having an affinity for gun ownership. I have a friend who did criminal defense work as a lawyer in Houston. According to him, Houston juries will not be kind to someone they think of as a "gun nut." Texas is a big place, and there's a lot of diversity within. Houston is a splotch of purple in a sea of red, and it will get bluer as time goes on, due to demographic shifts.
- big_youth 9y ago
  Not disagreeing with him as I have no knowledge of the court system but driving around Houston the number of gun stores is insane.
  - dsfyu404ed 9y ago
    You're not used to it. It's about as remarkable as a liquor store or tire and lube shop to the people who are used to it.

ryanmarsh 9y ago

Who says HN hates humor?

alyandon 9y ago

Indeed. I hate those things and conduct vicious chemical warfare against any nests that pop up in my yard. There is at least one possible upside: Fire ants love to eat ticks. I guess I've learned something new today.

stephenhuey 9y ago

Houstonian here. Apparently all you need is some Dawn soap to break their surface tension! I've always been fascinated by ants since childhood and love watching them, but these floating islands are the worst ambush I can imagine. Good to know they have a kryptonite.

yourapostasy 9y ago
Before readers run out and try this, there is a technique and protocol that should be followed, or you won't like the consequences. I'll let a post on /r/natureismetal do the typing for me [1], and here's a copy-pasta for those who don't want to click through (more scientific explanation [2] of why this works within seconds...to make sure around these bastards from hell, I gave 'em two minutes to display proof of death---put a stick in the drowned mass and lift it up---before I moved on to hunting down the next raft): -------- clip here -------- You're all going to love this. It's environmentally friendly, it's inexpensive, it's 100% lethal, and makes them die in the most horrible manner possible. Dish soap. Put a tablespoon or two into a spray bottle, then add about 2-3 cups of water. Swish the water to mix. Do not shake! You don't want foam in the bottle. MOVE. UP. STREAM. Seriously, you don't want to be downstream of this when it happens. Now, starting in the middle of the mass, start spritzing with the soapy water, and work your way out to the edges. The soap will break the surface tension, and act as a wetting agent on the ants. As a result, the water will now start wicking up their bodies, enveloping them like living quicksand. And with the surface tension broken, the mass of ants will start to sink. Remember, start in the middle! This will cause the center to sink first, and drag the edges down last. The ants will all hold on to each other and drag every last one below the surface. With a soft bloop, the entire mass will drop. Remember how I said to move upstream? If you're downstream, the entire submerged mass could end up wrapped around your legs. Where they will immediately begin clawing their way to the surface, using you as a ladder. Best of all, you can scale up your operation, and load a backpack sprayer with a bottle of Dawn and a few gallons of water. Then just wade through your neighborhood, wiping them out for the benefit of everyone! -------- clip here -------- [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/comments/6wkd4j/fireants_create_a_floating_island_of_themselves/dm90hkg/ https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/comments/6wkd4j/firea... [2] https://www.livescience.com/13867-raft-fire-ants-buoyancy-flood-water-repellant-floatation.html https://www.livescience.com/13867-raft-fire-ants-buoyancy-fl...
- mixmastamyk 9y ago
  For someone out of the area, why would you do such a thing?
  - hguant 9y ago
    Because fire ants are invasive species made of spite.
  - drone 9y ago
    Fire ants are an invasive species which have wrecked havoc on the local ecology and cause serious human harm.
  - munificent 9y ago
    Fire ants are a foreign invasive species in the United states that kill animals, push out native ant species, cause incredibly painful stings, and trigger sometimes-fatal reactions in some people. They are nasty little balls of hate.
    - stephenhuey 9y ago
      Just combine the ruthlessness of Terminators and Aliens, shrink to insect size and multiply by billions.
  - Mz 9y ago
    You have obviously not been bitten by a fire ant. Their name was not inspired by their red color, but by their burning, venomous bites which leave huge weeping pustules. If you are allergic or sensitive, it is worse. If you had ever been bitten, you would understand the desire to kill them if you can, any way you can. (Bonus: According to the article, the floating ant rafts are 165% more venomous than usual. I cannot imagine.)
    - cat199 9y ago
      to put things in some perspective, they do suck, but are not as bad as a bee sting or wasp sting, at least in my opinion. However, you are much more likely to get a bazillion bites, for example if you step in a nest and don't notice it until they are crawling up your leg..
throw_away 9y ago
I hear about this solution every time these ant-balls are discussed, but I've yet to see a video despite extensive searching. I've seen countless videos of them floating, but none with them sinking. Has anyone found a video (or else is willing to make one :)?
cr0sh 9y ago
It makes me wonder if you couldn't use one of those "foam guns" or something similar to spread a bunch of such soap around? Or maybe whatever system they use to lay fire-fighting foam down at airports? Maybe just fire-fighting foam itself? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefighting_foam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefighting_foam
- joezydeco 9y ago
  Surfactants don't need much to do their work. A spray bottle with diluted soap would probably start the process of sinking the raft.
lisper 9y ago
It doesn't have to be Dawn. Any liquid soap will work.

chrissnell 9y ago

I actually have a friend back home in TX who owns a store that sells flamethrowers. [1] Sadly, his business is in the bulls-eye of Hurricane Harvey flooding. [1] http://www.txmgo.com/index.php/shop/flamethrowers http://www.txmgo.com/index.php/shop/flamethrowers

jjawssd 9y ago

Another alternative is casting a colony with molten metal https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCslpm3Swt7AWO9cJ8c-EZYA https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCslpm3Swt7AWO9cJ8c-EZYA

Mz 9y ago

They clearly should all be packing flame-throwers. When I was growing up in Georgia (last century), we would douse fire ant mounds in gasoline and light it. (This is no doubt illegal now.) We called them ant roasts. /heathen

artimaeis 9y ago
Southern resident here - I know of no state laws in the region forbidding pouring flammable substances in/on your ground and igniting it. Still a very satisfying method of ant removal - if not the most effective for long-term removal.
- Jtsummers 9y ago
  The only thing to be careful of is local fire ordinances and controlled burn reporting. It's a minor issue, probably wouldn't trip you up in most places. But I have known people who burned (small) piles of leaves without reporting and in non-drought conditions end up with fines for their trouble. Very much varies by local rules. If you're in a county in GA you can probably get away with it without trouble.
  - dsfyu404ed 9y ago
    >But I have known people who burned (small) piles of leaves without reporting and in non-drought conditions end up with fines for their trouble. What you really mean is that you know people with neighbors who don't like them and are well connected enough to not fear reprisal.
- 0xfeba 9y ago
  I'm sure the EPA and local environmental departments have rules against this.
  - freehunter 9y ago
    It's not really any different from a farmer clearing tress and shrubs and burning them in their field. Obviously if you live in the city you probably can't burn without a permit and/or being in a controlled container like a fire pit, but there's a lot of land between cities that doesn't have nearly as restrictive of laws.

cat199 9y ago

who says we aren't?

jobu 9y ago

When the floods come, it only takes a little bit of soap: > Fire ant rafts do have a kryptonite: dish soap. “Dawn is a not a registered insecticide, but it will break up the surface tension and they will sink”

stcredzero 9y ago

Texans are often regarded as having an affinity for gun ownership. I have a friend who did criminal defense work as a lawyer in Houston. According to him, Houston juries will not be kind to someone they think of as a "gun nut." Texas is a big place, and there's a lot of diversity within. Houston is a splotch of purple in a sea of red, and it will get bluer as time goes on, due to demographic shifts.

big_youth 9y ago
Not disagreeing with him as I have no knowledge of the court system but driving around Houston the number of gun stores is insane.
- dsfyu404ed 9y ago
  You're not used to it. It's about as remarkable as a liquor store or tire and lube shop to the people who are used to it.