Ants, a small oddity

[The Snark]

In native American folklore we are taught to read the signs the animals give us. Though subtle, some animals and their behavior is never wrong, always indicating something about the seasons, the environment or the weather.

Every year here, for 8 years now, the ants invade our house. 2 months of assorted forays from wandering scouts to inch wide trails entering the front of the house and going out the back. At least once every year the downstairs white ceramic tiles turn black with them and the cats stage a major protest on the upstairs landing.

This year. The reservoirs are nearly bone dry. Almost no water for the rice. The every other day thunderstorms from the end of April on have happened 3 times, once without rain. August normally gets 16 days of rain. So far we have had 2. And there have been no ants, inside or out. It's eerie! I can walk in the garden anywhere barefoot without getting my legs chewed off and melted away at the knees.

 

[pannaking22]

That is very odd. Seems like they thrive when there is more water and higher humidity. I wonder if part of the increased activity during the rains is because their homes are flooding though and they are forced to move?

 

[klawfran3]

That is very odd. Seems like they thrive when there is more water and higher humidity. I wonder if part of the increased activity during the rains is because their homes are flooding though and they are forced to move?

That could be a big factor. Ants also need humidity for brood growth as their larvae dehydrate easily. I have a pogonomyrmex californicus queen right now in a test tube setup which gives them the maximum humidity for their brood growth.
Ants will desert their home if there is massive flooding but, like tarantulas, they can also seal their burrows iif they need to.

 

[The Snark]

Humidity may certainly be a factor. It's been extremely low for several weeks. Down as low as 40% relative instead of the normal 70% to 85%.

I made the rounds yesterday. The massive series of black ant nests in front and to the side of the house, the micro miniatures that live between the walls and the window frames, the medium large black ones that send scouts all over the bathrooms and kitchen, the black small ones with their massive soldiers east of the house in the old stumps, the large bite like the furies along the hedge, the big red people banger weavers in the philodendron, all missing. The only ones I found are the usual small colony, maybe 30 to 50, of larger black ones living in the kitchen counter, their scouts still roam the kitchen.

Farther afield I did find two ant highways crossing dirt roads, which is normal, the closest to us over a km away.

It is extremely disconcerting! While ants are just a nuisance on civilized shores like much of America and Europe, in the tropics they are the janitors and their job is critical. Without that clean up crew there is no real alternative that is going to be getting rid of the disease factories - the garbage and dead animals.

 

[klawfran3]

Humidity may certainly be a factor. It's been extremely low for several weeks. Down as low as 40% relative instead of the normal 70% to 85%.

I made the rounds yesterday. The massive series of black ant nests in front and to the side of the house, the micro miniatures that live between the walls and the window frames, the medium large black ones that send scouts all over the bathrooms and kitchen, the black small ones with their massive soldiers east of the house in the old stumps, the large bite like the furies along the hedge, the big red people banger weavers in the philodendron, all missing. The only ones I found are the usual small colony, maybe 30 to 50, of larger black ones living in the kitchen counter, their scouts still roam the kitchen.

Farther afield I did find two ant highways crossing dirt roads, which is normal, the closest to us over a km away.

It is extremely disconcerting! While ants are just a nuisance on civilized shores like much of America and Europe, in the tropics they are the janitors and their job is critical. Without that clean up crew there is no real alternative that is going to be getting rid of the disease factories - the garbage and dead animals.

Hmm... Is there a reason for the lack of rain, or is it just one of those natural anomalies? That would definitely be a low enough humidity to drive the ants out or even prevent them from raising brood. In the absence of ants I assume you're probably going to have an abundance of other scavengers/ predators like roaches and wasps, because something needs to fill in that niche.

 

[The Snark]

No idea about the rain. Seems all of SE Asia and on into the mideast has weird weather. All extremes. Floods or drought. 150 miles west in Burma it's floods. 500 miles south, more floods. Floods in Korea and China. And here, about 15% of the normal rain. It's been extremes like this for about 5 years.

I don't relish the idea of some other animals taking over the ants jobs if there is one. Unlikely to be insects as we're up to our eyeballs in omnivore birds.

 

[The Snark]

One light rain, not enough to be measurable, occurred the night before last. One species of ants immediately made their presence known, swarming all over the carport. Ants activities are obviously connected to the weather.

That is very worrisome. The planetary clean up crew, one of the hardiest and most resilient animals on earth, can be drastically affected by the present climate change. Nearly half of their yearly major foraging cycle has been disrupted.

 

[klawfran3]

One light rain, not enough to be measurable, occurred the night before last. One species of ants immediately made their presence known, swarming all over the carport. Ants activities are obviously connected to the weather.

That is very worrisome. The planetary clean up crew, one of the hardiest and most resilient animals on earth, can be drastically affected by the present climate change. Nearly half of their yearly major foraging cycle has been disrupted.

Well all over the world ants go on nuptial flights after a rainstorm, this is common behavior. It's the disappearance of long established colonies that is the real matter. Hopefully the swarmers will establish a new one nearby in a year or so.