Houston being overrun by electronics-killing ants
We'll let you read the hed again -- nope, it's not a joke. Apparently millions of tiny swarming ants called "crazy raspberry ants" are causing quite a ruckus down in Houston after they accidentally arrived on board a cargo ship and started busily invading homes and offices, where they are attracted to electrical equipment. So far they've messed up sewage pumps, cause fire alarms to go haywire, destroyed computers, and taken out at least one gas meter -- and since they're resistant to over-the-counter ant killers and each colony has multiple queens, they're nearly impossible to kill. Worse, those that do die are used by the remaining ants as bridges over pesticide-treated areas. Yep, that's insanely creepy. Anyone in Houston got any horror stories to share?
[Thanks, David]
[Thanks, David]























I bet these ants were created by technology companies to force us to buy more stuff.
Raspberries, eh? What we need are some 16-ton weights... and possibly a tiger.
i love that skit
I remember a site that used to buy and re-sell broken Xboxes (think it was llama.com or something) had a note saying not to ship them Xboxes that were infested with bugs. At first I wondered how common that was, but apparently it's more than I thought.
Man i love nature.
@Ian
Nature/God (however you choose) has made more flora and fauna go extinct than Man ever has.
Those damn polygamist ants...
MacGyver! Where are you in our hour of need?
he's straightening the paperclip (otherwise known as the all-purpose multitool) and affixing the bubblegum...
So this is how John Connors takes down SkyNet!
That picture makes my spine tingle and my skin feel all crawly
THANKS JERKS!!!!
We've got them in Dallas now too ... they haven't torn up any of my electronics, but they do not die from normal insecticide; I've tried dozens.
It should be noted that they sting like a motherfucker.
I'm from the UK, and the only ants we have are red and black...
So, I had a really bad problem with ants in my garden, ants in the lawn, ants in the hedge, even ants in the cavity wall in my house.
The solution? A lot of kettles of hot water, a little bit of bleach, and some ant powder for the b'stards in the cavity wall!
No more ants! Humans ftw!
So logically this means Macs are exempt from this threat because according to what I have learned from the mass media, Macs are immune to bugs.
I'm glad I live on the 3rd floor of my house then.
This is brilliant! Introduce a box of these to the server room in my office...forget a computer program that rounds off change and puts it in a bank account, completely destroying the mainframe and blaming it on nature is a way better option to take out the man.
Well that sucks, I guess now its the time to move to another city, Im thinking Dallas, don't you all worry I wont bring any gadgets with me.
They're in Austin already.
Today was trash day, so I go out and pick up whatever loose litter is blowing around after the trucks sweep through.
These tiny little guys were everywhere.
I live in Houston and everything is fine and dandy here. I think this story is just pure exaggeraOH MY GOD! WHAT THE HELL IS...oh just a couple of crumbs on my keyboard. Nope, nothing pandemic going on here in simple o H-town.
The pinhead for the night on Bill O'Reilly were the crazy raspberry ants..."each and every one of them."
I am working at a secret military facility. We are currently developing a system called "SkyNet" which we believe is likely to kill all of them ants (if needed). It´s an autonomous defense Computer (the most advanced one ever build). We will begin testing next week. So please everyone do not worry about those ants anymore. The government got you covered!
Well I'm moving to San Antonio at the end of summer so I'm not going to worry about it. Sucks for everyone else here though.
Why not use the EM attraction to their demise. Kinda like a bug zapper. Build an ant trap and use a strong em field as the bait.
Problem solved. - Maybe
I understand they have more than one queen. They eat lady bugs, who eat bugs on our plants. They get thru the tiniest cracks and destroy the wires carrying electricity, ruin the swimming pools by eating the wiring and motors. So far, there is nothing to kill them that is safe for the environment and people that come into contact with them. So far, I haven't heard how they propagate or how fast. We can go to the moon but we can't seem to destroy these raspberry ants. M.D.
What? No obligatory reference to Phase IV?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_IV
Houston, Texas... right?
....Chuck Norris, anyone?
*Hums the Walker, Texas Ranger theme music*
Just a note, raising your computers and other electronics off the floor won't help since the ants climb. You 'd have to do like we did in the tropics and put the legs of tables, etc. in overtured jar lids filled with water so they won't climb the legs. Bummer.
I live inSan Antonio, they are here and in my truck!!! How do I kill the SOB's??????