Alpine Oddity

[Dru]

Real live fire ants!

[chelle]

Hey Off, There are some ant tree belays on lower cathedral and the lower brother areas. Funny how those ant covered trees smell sweet and acrid like raid.

[ScottP]

If they were an invasive foreign species like fire ants, I'd say go ahead and smoke 'em. But they are probably just a native species that has been here all the time, mostly unnoticed. Any naturalists out there who might have a clue about how common such large hills are and what species this might be?

 

I did a little research:

These ants are in the group Formica Rufa. They are also known as Red Wood Ants and "Thatching Ants".

They are aggressive and produce stinging bites due to their production (and use of ) formic acid.

They are beneficial in that they prey on defoliating insects.

Different species are found in different parts of the world.

Super colonies with up to 20 km of interconnected mounds have been observed.

 

A couple of sites with pics of the mounds:

http://www.wsl.ch/land/genetics/herbivores/ants.html

 

http://www.antnest.co.uk/Nests.html

[catbirdseat]

Hey Off, There are some ant tree belays on lower cathedral and the lower brother areas. Funny how those ant covered trees smell sweet and acrid like raid.

I know that certain species of ants will "cultivate" aphids so they can harvest the sweet liquid called honey dew that the aphids produce.

 

There is a genus of orchids called Schomburgkia which has hollow stems and is almost always colonized by ants which fiercely protect their host plant. Schomburgkia collectors have got to be masochists.

[sobo]

...There is a genus of orchids called Schomburgkia which has hollow stems and is almost always colonized by ants which fiercely protect their host plant. Schomburgkia collectors have got to be masochists.

 

...or symbiots.

[ScottP]

I know that certain species of ants will "cultivate" aphids so they can harvest the sweet liquid called honey dew that the aphids produce.

 

Some species of Formica Rufa do that. They also attack and kidnap the larval stage of other ant species they then raise as slave laborers. Some of the larva they just eat.

 

Also, another type of ant, the Dalmatie, chews and then forms it's food into patties which it then bakes in the sun.

 

The largest ant in the world (Dorylus) lives in Africa and is 4 cm long.

 

 

Okay, I'm done.

[Szyjakowski]

The problem which took place in Tacoma is due to the fact that ant hills exist underground. The fire finds its way into these ant hill tunnels and stays there. Even in major pacific northwest rainshowers some of these fires continue to smoulder only to spring up at an alternate location later on. Burning ant hills is a great way to cause a forest fire...

 

Jason

 

Did you really think i was serious?

 

[chucK]

Scott,

You didn't answer the important question! Are they an invasive foreign species? That is, do we get to "smoke 'em!"

 

We went on a "hike" in Discovery Park on Friday evening. Saw and marveled at a big ol' anthill, looks just like your picture, and wondered what they were. Come home, read cc.com, and there's a picture right there! Quite a coincidence.

[ScottP]

Chuck,

From what I could gather, there are native species in the Cascades, so, no, you don't gotta "smoke em".

[Jason_Martin]

Did you really think i was serious?

 

Whether or not I thought you were serious doesn't matter. There are a lot of reactionary people on this website who take what they read to heart. The last thing we need is some dumbass who read something like that on a website, thought it was serious, and ends up burning down a portion of one of our forests...

 

Jason

[Szyjakowski]

for real?

 

DISCLAIMER:

i am rarely serious on this site!

[Dru]

Ants FAQ

[AaronB]

WARNING: Some things in this FAQ may be true. But it's not very likely.