Well, easier said than done.
It seems that ants are always crawling all over you when you're sitting down trying to have a nice picnic, but the minute you want them to crawl up your ant trapping device--a simple stick--they will avoid it like the plague. We walked around the seminary grounds looking for ant trails and found the Hong Kong ants exceptional busy and difficult to distract from their hurried and focused maneuvers. These are the fastest and most dogged ants I've ever seen. They simply will not get lured by our stick!
Having given up on these concrete-dwelling critters, we thought we'd have better luck finding a dirt mound somewhere outside the seminary. Along a dirt road leading to the waterfront, we found some dirt on either side of the road. Presuming these "country" ants will not be as goal-oriented as their city-dwelling cousins, we poked the stick in dirt holes hoping some of them will take the bait. Still no luck. I remember watching a nature show documenting gorillas using sticks to fish out termites for a snack; at this point I felt like asking a gorilla for some pointers.
After over an hour, trying out various sticks, twigs, and straws, and after being chased by a determined wasp, which must have thought Ian had a helipad painted on the back of his head, and after being bit countless times by little mosquitoes all around our ankles, we managed to capture exactly one ant.
The sun was setting, and we walked home with the precious ant sitting lonely and bewildered in the ant farm.
I wonder if it imagines there has been a shipwreck, and it has landed on a deserted island.
3 comments:
It sounds like word of your intended conquest had spread among the ant community before your arrival. Next time, you should plan a sneak attack.
That poor ant...I hope you have better luck next time.
What an adventure! :) Does Ian plan on adding more ants?
Post a Comment