Bees and Ants...pretty cool to watch.

[JuliusSqueezer]

Megan and I are having fun with ants already. There are some cracks at the end of the driveway that keep becoming little ant cities. I've put ant killer, ant spray and because it was just on the driveway and not out in the grass where it would effect other animals, I even poured gasoline on them. I guess they have it pretty spread out under the concrete because nothing kills them. They just spring up by next morning from a different crack and even right now are right back where they were a week ago.

I was standing out there watching them, staring, plotting my next move, muttering obscenities and I saw the coolest thing happen that I'd never seen before. A yellowjacket came over and zig zagged back and forth over the ant hills about 1/2 inch off the ground sweeping the dirt off them to stir them up. Like a mini little leaf blower. It was obvious he knew exactly what he was doing, using his wings to fan/sweep/blow the dirt away and make the ants come pouring out. Finally, he picked an ant, grabbed it and flew off. I always love discovering things like this in nature. I'm sure it's been observed before but it's still new for me. Now I gotta go figure out where the dang yellow jackets are

[hunters327]

That is interesting. I have never heard of bee eating ants.
I guess all you really need for ant control is about a million more yellow jackets. J/K lol

[natas]

You should see my worm farm.

[TammyJamaica]

As a child I used to watch ants for hours at a time, and I still find them amazing. If you want a demonstration that Communism can work, there you have it! (with ants anyway) We call it instinct, that something that would seem to be great intelligence, which seems to elude us humans.

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard!
Consider her ways, and be wise." Not sure I remember who said this, was it Lewis Carrol? Or is it the Holy Bible?

Bees and ants are not pests like say, rats and roaches.

By the way can I give roaches to my spiny tailed iguana? (if I happen to find any in my immaculate house or garden, that is!)

[JuliusSqueezer]

Some bees aren't pests. Yellowjackets most certainly are in the late summer/early fall when they go in the ground. Get near such a hole with a weedeater or lawnmower and you will likely think them pests too when they swarm out and sting you all over

Ants are great outside 100 mile radius from my lawn. Any ant coming on my lawn is subject to the wrath of bug spray or pellets.

Outside the 100 mile radius, they are only pests when they get under a favorite herping spot hide. Ants under ground cover=no reptiles.

[VoodooChile]

Originally Posted by TammyJamaica

By the way can I give roaches to my spiny tailed iguana? (if I happen to find any in my immaculate house or garden, that is!)

As long as no one has treated them with pesticides. I'd dust them w/ calcium too

[MED04]

We also kill bumble bees with tennis rackets