CathyA
8-2-13, 6:20pm
I have to say, this was one of the neatest "nature" things I've ever witnessed.
DH came home early from work to take the dog to the vet, for her shots.
As we were loading the dog into the car, DH pointed to our sidewalk and said "Look at that."
I looked.......and it was what seemed like hundreds of ants running around on the sidewalk, like crazy. I mean they really seemed manic.
After DH left, I ran in the house and tried to look up online what kind of ant they were. It almost looked like they were carpenter ants.....which was very disconcerting.
I have to back up a little and say that we've been watching a mound of dirt at the end of the sidewalk growing and growing and growing. Silly us always thought it was a chipmunk den, because they hung around that area. Well, I realize now its a massive anthill. DUH!
I went back out to get a look at these ants (part of them was black, part red, and they were pretty big).
And I saw a battle! There were tons of smaller black ants that had shown up, and they were attacking the big ants........they were attacking them and carrying them back to the anthill.
I just couldn't believe I was witnessing this "massacre". It was obvious that the bigger ants were not fighters.......but runners. I did see them kill just a couple of the smaller ants. But the smaller ants were the warriors. I would see some of them come together......almost like they were having a quick conference, then they'd run off after more bigger ants.
I would see the smaller ones grab onto the leg of the big ones, and pull and pull and pull. Some of them would be dragged across the drive, but they wouldn't let go.
I know this must sound creepy to some of you, but I was just awe-struck, to be witnessing this.
Its almost 3 hours later, and there are still the smaller ants out there, appearing to guard the area. I can't see any bigger ants.
I would soooo like to know what happened. Did the bigger ants try to attack the smaller ones, and discovered they were no match? Were the smaller ants the invaders and they took over the anthill? Were the bigger ants just relocating and they accidentally threatened the residents of the anthill? I guess I'll never know.
But it was Amazing. Just amazing.
DH came home early from work to take the dog to the vet, for her shots.
As we were loading the dog into the car, DH pointed to our sidewalk and said "Look at that."
I looked.......and it was what seemed like hundreds of ants running around on the sidewalk, like crazy. I mean they really seemed manic.
After DH left, I ran in the house and tried to look up online what kind of ant they were. It almost looked like they were carpenter ants.....which was very disconcerting.
I have to back up a little and say that we've been watching a mound of dirt at the end of the sidewalk growing and growing and growing. Silly us always thought it was a chipmunk den, because they hung around that area. Well, I realize now its a massive anthill. DUH!
I went back out to get a look at these ants (part of them was black, part red, and they were pretty big).
And I saw a battle! There were tons of smaller black ants that had shown up, and they were attacking the big ants........they were attacking them and carrying them back to the anthill.
I just couldn't believe I was witnessing this "massacre". It was obvious that the bigger ants were not fighters.......but runners. I did see them kill just a couple of the smaller ants. But the smaller ants were the warriors. I would see some of them come together......almost like they were having a quick conference, then they'd run off after more bigger ants.
I would see the smaller ones grab onto the leg of the big ones, and pull and pull and pull. Some of them would be dragged across the drive, but they wouldn't let go.
I know this must sound creepy to some of you, but I was just awe-struck, to be witnessing this.
Its almost 3 hours later, and there are still the smaller ants out there, appearing to guard the area. I can't see any bigger ants.
I would soooo like to know what happened. Did the bigger ants try to attack the smaller ones, and discovered they were no match? Were the smaller ants the invaders and they took over the anthill? Were the bigger ants just relocating and they accidentally threatened the residents of the anthill? I guess I'll never know.
But it was Amazing. Just amazing.