A zillion ants!!!

I was walking along the concrete path (about 1 metre wide) from the carpark back to my apartment. Then I noticed a stream of ants, probably moving food back to its nest. Quite a commonsight at my estate I must say. Sometimes if you are in a hurry and step accidentally onto this 'stream of ants', you would be very busy later trying to pick and kill these ants that managed to crawl up your legs and starting to sting you all over.

So yes, I am generally very irritated by ants. My house is always equipped with ant-bait. It's this brownish sand-like substance which one has to spread on the area infested with ants. The ants would be attracted to this substance, thinking it is food. They would then carry the substance back to the nest to share with their fellow ants and queen ants. Then all would be poisoned and the whole colony in the nest would be wiped out. Vicious but great invention! I simply love this ant-bait! Of course after a few months, they may reappear. After all, a queen ant is capable of laying millions of eggs at one go. They can live up to 15 years and need to mate only once!!

Back to my story now.

After I chanced upon the streaming ants, I ran upstairs to get my ant-bait. I then poured some over the ants. They all charged for it. More ants started rushing out of those little ant holes. Then I thought since they were all loving it, I started to pour more and more... And finally, the whole content was emptied out. And something crazy happened.

Suddenly the gray path started to change to reddish brown - the colour of the ants as hundreds and thousands of them came out of their nests to grab the 'food'. There was almost no spot on the path for me to stand on without touching any ants. I started to run as the red shadow kept growing steadily. It was growing so fast I literally had to sprint!! Still I wasn't fast enough. When I reached one corner of the garden, my legs were taking the colour of reddish brown too as the zillions of ants crept up my legs!!! I was totally freaked out! By some help from above, I noticed a gardener's water hose lying next to me. I turned it on full blast and sprayed the water jet onto both my legs. You can't imagine how fast my heart was beating at that time! I finally managed to clear all the ants off me. My heart is pumping fast again as I am relating this story to you. No stings fortunately! I quickly ran home to recover from the shock.

This is what it would have looked like if I was stung! Scary!!



























When I woke up the next morning, I was so glad the whole thing was just a dream... Phew...

He he, caught you there! But it was such a vivid dream, I simply have to tell you. Hope I have entertained your day :)

Anyway, while I am at it, here are some 10 Curious Facts about Ants:
1. An ant colony can have up to several millions of ants. If the weight of all ants were added it would be approximately the same than the weight of all human beings added together.
2. Many ant species produce a special scent when in danger. This scent attracts the other workers which rush in to help.
3. Most ant species have very small eyes and poor vision. Their eyes are compounded, that is divided in many small sections. Each section works like a separate eye. Some ants are almost blind and they find their way around using their antennae and smell sensors.
4. When an ant returns to the nest after finding food, it lays a scent trail that directs the other workers to the food.
5. Some ants can carry many times their own weight.
6. Ants are older than men. There have been found some fossil ants dated more than a hundred million (100,000,000) years.
7. Ants keep their nests very clean. They usually have special chambers for waste materials and dead ants.
8. Some species of ants have soldiers with a plug-shaped head. The soldiers function is to use their heads like stoppers to close the entrance to the nest. This prevents other ants or insects getting into the nest. To enter the hole the workers of the colony must identify themselves by tapping the soldier's head with the antennae (So cute rite?).
9. The queen ant may live over 15 years. She produces a chemical called 'queen substance' that the workers lick from her body. This substance tells the workers that the queen is well and healthy.
10. The larvae excrete liquid waste material from their anus, every time a worker touches their hind body. This liquid waste is very similar to urine. The worker then licks it up and carries it away in her mouth.

Source http://www.bubblegum-productions.com/

...the one who still hates ants