Where they got a conch shell in the middle of the rainforest I don’t know but Charleton got one.
Neat variation of the classic security guard scene too.
@f00l No see, most of them are probably fine. They form an actually rather strong and safe raft as shown in the OP. And then after the flooding finally ends imagine your surprise when the fire ant colony from the empty lot a few blocks over washes up in your yard. And they’re hungry. If that isn’t terri/horrifying I don’t know what is.
@f00l How many ants drowned? Not enough. I’ve hated those things ever since I was a little kid. Their bites leave behind nasty little pustules.
Drown them! Burn them with fire! Blow up their big ant mounds with M-80s! (Ok, I might’ve been a bit extreme in my hatred of them when I was younger. I was also faster, because one has to run far enough away not to be showered with sand & pissed off ants.)
I got stung by a herd of them several years ago, and someone recommended spraying Windex on my foot. I figured, couldn’t hurt, as I was reaching for an axe to chop my foot off. Hand on heart, swear to God - it took away the sting.
I was in Boy Scouts as a kid and one year, we went to camp at Sid Richardson somewhere near Dallas. It was a pretty cool camp, but the ants were unbearable.
One night, we did a US Marshal camp and went horseback riding, followed by cowboy chili and sleeping in canvas tents. Because I was afraid I might have food in my pack, I left it against a tree nearby. The next morning, I grabbed my pack and carried it down to the boat, threw it on board and climbed on and we set out for the next station. It’s hot in Texas, and we were on the lake, so I just had on a pair of swim trunks, but the sun was starting to bear down on us so I decided to put on a shirt to keep from getting sunburned. I opened my pack, took out a shirt that was on top, and gave it a shake to unfold it.
As it unfolded, enough fire ants to fill a Mason jar fell into my lap and all over my torso. I was immediately in shock and terror as thousands of fire ants ferociously devoured my flesh. I tried to think but the pain was deafening. Everyone on the boat was screaming and I was on fire. There was nothing I could do but swat at my body and jump into the lake. I was swiping my arms and body with my hands to knock the ants loose so they would drown. Every one of them that came off my body surfaced next to me. The fuckers could float, and worse yet, they could kinda walk on water. I swatted at the surface attempting to crush them but they only latched onto my hands and head as I screamed. I was certain that I was about to drown or die from thousands of ant bites. I took a deep breath and dove underwater, swiping at my head, arms and body with my hands, knocking them loose. I swam as fast and as far as I could for what seemed like minutes. I surfaced 20-30 feet away, finally clear of most of the ants. I swiped them off of me as the world began to come back into view and the water poured out of my ears.
I could hear laughing. Lots of laughing. The boat full of Boy Scouts I had just abandoned was in a roar of laughter. They weren’t screaming at all. They pulled up and I climbed out of the water back onto the boat. Those bastards laughed. They were laughing the entire time. I checked myself for more ants, still in disbelief something so tiny could render such incredible blinding pain. A few straggling ants were still on the boat, but they were soon dealt with.
I looked like a plucked chicken. Not because of my coloring, but because of the thousands of bites across my skin. The bites still felt like they were happening but my body had finally caught up to the pain and I could think at least. We had some baking soda on board so I coated myself with it. It didn’t help much but it did at least cut the edge from the sting.
Never would I wish that on anyone. Just the other day, I was saying that I hoped the fire ants would all drown in the floods. I should have known they’d form terrifying islands of hellfire. Run!
@capguncowboy
In what I hope will be my last official act of contrition as scapegoat, I’m truly sorry this happened, even if a long time ago. Those damn ants really sting when they bite.
I must admit, I did laugh. Good story.
As if it were a premonition, I refer you to this earlier post. There are life lessons to be learned here at meh.
As water began to recede in some parts of flood-ravaged Houston and as Harvey, now a tropical depression, shifted its wrath to the Beaumont-Port Arthur area of Texas, there were reports early Thursday that a chemical plant at risk of exploding had done just that.
There were two explosions at the Arkema plant in Crosby, about 30 miles northeast of downtown Houston, around 2 a.m., the French chemicals company that owns the plant said in a statement.
It said there was a risk of further explosions at the site.
“We want local residents to be aware that the product is stored in multiple locations on the site, and a threat of additional explosion remains,” Arkema said.
During the big explosion in West a few years ago, or wonderful governor, John Abbott, was attorney general then.
He got the laws and regulations changed. Before the explosion in West, chemical plants and the like had to tell the public what chemicals they had on site.
After the regulations changed, those companies no longer have to inform anyone about what chemicals they have on site.
That was the governmental regulation change after the West explosion.
Even yesterday and today, when the company knew explosions were imminent, they still wouldn’t say exactly what they were working with.
They did say what class of chemicals they were working with. According to chemistry profs at UT and A&M, those classes of chemicals can be rendered non-explosive pretty easily by chemical means.
However, this process renders the chemicals valueless.
Apparently, the company did not have the chemical means to do this on site.
Ugh. Composed that one while on an escalator. Swipe keyboard.
I’m innocent. I swear.
I blame @kidsandliz for me being clumsy then and now.
–
With Abbott (a very conservative traditional Republican), there has been a consistent issue with laws, court cases, and rulings favorable to various industries and interest groups being related to positions strongly benefitting the list of his friends and donors. He denies any impropriety.
@f00l Or more than likely, had them but bet that the insurance payments would be sufficient to cover the damage from the 'splosion[s], and that what “product” they can salvage from the mess will also be more than the deficit it would create by 'sploding.
In industry this is known as a risk benefit analysis, and it is notorious for ignoring human factors like people living downwind of the toxic effluents like smoke and run-off water.
@sgrazi My friend is the lead chemist at the oil refinery right in the center of the city, and he’s fond of saying that if things go badly, there’s no point in trying to run if you are within 10 miles of the plant, which includes about a million people. I always tell him to get plenty of rest.
Each time I get bit by fire ants I now get cellulitis. Once taking adjudicated youth across the state of florida (by canoe) I sat down on one side of a big tree. There was a several foot high fire ant hill on the other side. Lots of bites. I ran to the river - gators and poisonous water snakes be damned. Managed to get them off in the water way faster than trying to brush them off on land. There is something though that hurts worse than fire ant bites though - shingles. Had them in 5 nerve roots while undergoing chemo. Get your shingles shot when you are old enough to get that.
@ThomasF Actually I just read that some colonies don’t seem fight and collect themselves in giant, multi queen/colony rafts on the water. The fights then only begin when they are back on land and so the colonies spread out on land whenever possible to avoid the fights; that water is their main way to spread.
@cranky1950 What they need now there is helicopter Dawn soap drops over anywhere that has these suckers. They are an invasive species anyway so die suckers die.
/giphy Crankiness
@f00l You’ll get yours my pretty.
I watched a video of those things yesterday and I’m still itchy and weirded out. Avoid the fire ants.
This link was supposed to be there too.
FireAnts
Where they got a conch shell in the middle of the rainforest I don’t know but Charleton got one.
Neat variation of the classic security guard scene too.
No. Just no. Ants give me the heebie jeebies. Never liked them.
Think of how many Fire Ants drowned in S Texas this past week.
When I think about Fire Ants, I start having issues with concept of universal love and respect for all creatures.
@f00l This is how I feel about mosquitoes and pigeons.
@Kawa and Crows, and in the midwest, geese.
@f00l and Miscovy Ducks
@f00l No see, most of them are probably fine. They form an actually rather strong and safe raft as shown in the OP. And then after the flooding finally ends imagine your surprise when the fire ant colony from the empty lot a few blocks over washes up in your yard. And they’re hungry. If that isn’t terri/horrifying I don’t know what is.
@f00l https://www.wired.com/story/why-those-floating-fire-ant-colonies-in-texas-are-such-bad-news/
@f00l How many ants drowned? Not enough. I’ve hated those things ever since I was a little kid. Their bites leave behind nasty little pustules.
Drown them! Burn them with fire! Blow up their big ant mounds with M-80s! (Ok, I might’ve been a bit extreme in my hatred of them when I was younger. I was also faster, because one has to run far enough away not to be showered with sand & pissed off ants.)
@f00l ant and roach spray and flamethrowers are your friend. What one doesn’t take out, the other will.
Sprinkle a little Dawn on them and presto, no more ant island.
@djslack Because I always grab my dish washing liquid first when fleeing flood waters. lol
/I think I will now.
@djslack better yet, spray them down with kerosene and Light Em Up!
/giphy flamethrower
I got stung by a herd of them several years ago, and someone recommended spraying Windex on my foot. I figured, couldn’t hurt, as I was reaching for an axe to chop my foot off. Hand on heart, swear to God - it took away the sting.
@PrincessSuzuki Ammonia, most bug venoms are acidic and ammonia counter acts that. Good for hornet stings too.
@cranky1950 Or Baking SODA [not powder] and water.
@PhysAssist Same as using ammonia.
@cranky1950 Naw, H2CO3 don’t stink like old pee.
I was in Boy Scouts as a kid and one year, we went to camp at Sid Richardson somewhere near Dallas. It was a pretty cool camp, but the ants were unbearable.
One night, we did a US Marshal camp and went horseback riding, followed by cowboy chili and sleeping in canvas tents. Because I was afraid I might have food in my pack, I left it against a tree nearby. The next morning, I grabbed my pack and carried it down to the boat, threw it on board and climbed on and we set out for the next station. It’s hot in Texas, and we were on the lake, so I just had on a pair of swim trunks, but the sun was starting to bear down on us so I decided to put on a shirt to keep from getting sunburned. I opened my pack, took out a shirt that was on top, and gave it a shake to unfold it.
As it unfolded, enough fire ants to fill a Mason jar fell into my lap and all over my torso. I was immediately in shock and terror as thousands of fire ants ferociously devoured my flesh. I tried to think but the pain was deafening. Everyone on the boat was screaming and I was on fire. There was nothing I could do but swat at my body and jump into the lake. I was swiping my arms and body with my hands to knock the ants loose so they would drown. Every one of them that came off my body surfaced next to me. The fuckers could float, and worse yet, they could kinda walk on water. I swatted at the surface attempting to crush them but they only latched onto my hands and head as I screamed. I was certain that I was about to drown or die from thousands of ant bites. I took a deep breath and dove underwater, swiping at my head, arms and body with my hands, knocking them loose. I swam as fast and as far as I could for what seemed like minutes. I surfaced 20-30 feet away, finally clear of most of the ants. I swiped them off of me as the world began to come back into view and the water poured out of my ears.
I could hear laughing. Lots of laughing. The boat full of Boy Scouts I had just abandoned was in a roar of laughter. They weren’t screaming at all. They pulled up and I climbed out of the water back onto the boat. Those bastards laughed. They were laughing the entire time. I checked myself for more ants, still in disbelief something so tiny could render such incredible blinding pain. A few straggling ants were still on the boat, but they were soon dealt with.
I looked like a plucked chicken. Not because of my coloring, but because of the thousands of bites across my skin. The bites still felt like they were happening but my body had finally caught up to the pain and I could think at least. We had some baking soda on board so I coated myself with it. It didn’t help much but it did at least cut the edge from the sting.
Never would I wish that on anyone. Just the other day, I was saying that I hoped the fire ants would all drown in the floods. I should have known they’d form terrifying islands of hellfire. Run!
@capguncowboy
In what I hope will be my last official act of contrition as scapegoat, I’m truly sorry this happened, even if a long time ago. Those damn ants really sting when they bite.
I must admit, I did laugh. Good story.
As if it were a premonition, I refer you to this earlier post. There are life lessons to be learned here at meh.
And even more…
From NYTimes.com this morning
As water began to recede in some parts of flood-ravaged Houston and as Harvey, now a tropical depression, shifted its wrath to the Beaumont-Port Arthur area of Texas, there were reports early Thursday that a chemical plant at risk of exploding had done just that.
There were two explosions at the Arkema plant in Crosby, about 30 miles northeast of downtown Houston, around 2 a.m., the French chemicals company that owns the plant said in a statement.
It said there was a risk of further explosions at the site.
“We want local residents to be aware that the product is stored in multiple locations on the site, and a threat of additional explosion remains,” Arkema said.
@sgrazi
Yep.
Texas doesn’t realty regulate dangerous chemicals much.
During the big explosion in West a few years ago, or wonderful governor, John Abbott, was attorney general then.
He got the laws and regulations changed. Before the explosion in West, chemical plants and the like had to tell the public what chemicals they had on site.
After the regulations changed, those companies no longer have to inform anyone about what chemicals they have on site.
That was the governmental regulation change after the West explosion.
Even yesterday and today, when the company knew explosions were imminent, they still wouldn’t say exactly what they were working with.
They did say what class of chemicals they were working with. According to chemistry profs at UT and A&M, those classes of chemicals can be rendered non-explosive pretty easily by chemical means.
However, this process renders the chemicals valueless.
Apparently, the company did not have the chemical means to do this on site.
@f00l
Greg Abbott not John Abbott.
Ugh. Composed that one while on an escalator. Swipe keyboard.
I’m innocent. I swear.
I blame @kidsandliz for me being clumsy then and now.
–
With Abbott (a very conservative traditional Republican), there has been a consistent issue with laws, court cases, and rulings favorable to various industries and interest groups being related to positions strongly benefitting the list of his friends and donors. He denies any impropriety.
Good Ol’ Boy politics, from all appearances.
@f00l well, then Trump, [despite his “drain the Swamp” campaign promises] will fit right in there.
@f00l Or more than likely, had them but bet that the insurance payments would be sufficient to cover the damage from the 'splosion[s], and that what “product” they can salvage from the mess will also be more than the deficit it would create by 'sploding.
In industry this is known as a risk benefit analysis, and it is notorious for ignoring human factors like people living downwind of the toxic effluents like smoke and run-off water.
@sgrazi My friend is the lead chemist at the oil refinery right in the center of the city, and he’s fond of saying that if things go badly, there’s no point in trying to run if you are within 10 miles of the plant, which includes about a million people. I always tell him to get plenty of rest.
Each time I get bit by fire ants I now get cellulitis. Once taking adjudicated youth across the state of florida (by canoe) I sat down on one side of a big tree. There was a several foot high fire ant hill on the other side. Lots of bites. I ran to the river - gators and poisonous water snakes be damned. Managed to get them off in the water way faster than trying to brush them off on land. There is something though that hurts worse than fire ant bites though - shingles. Had them in 5 nerve roots while undergoing chemo. Get your shingles shot when you are old enough to get that.
Found some more ants on the cruise in Tejas:
If multiple colonies collide with different queens, do they fight. Like marauding ant colonies on the high seas vying for control.
@ThomasF they are not territorial or tribal like that
But pirate ants?! Arrr, Avast me anties!
@medz I was hoping for a mutual annihilation
@ThomasF Actually I just read that some colonies don’t seem fight and collect themselves in giant, multi queen/colony rafts on the water. The fights then only begin when they are back on land and so the colonies spread out on land whenever possible to avoid the fights; that water is their main way to spread.
@Kidsandliz I think it’s more like they come together and mob like mongols.
@cranky1950 What they need now there is helicopter Dawn soap drops over anywhere that has these suckers. They are an invasive species anyway so die suckers die.
@Kidsandliz
I’m with you there.