Art Imitating Life: My Collage for LMAC #206
My collage this week was inspired by this fellow:
I captured the ant on a paper towel. The animal was moving slowly because it had crossed over an area that had been treated by toxic chemicals. Shortly after I took this picture I gifted the ant a quick death. The alternative was an extended period of disorientation and what appeared to be agony.
I wasn't happy about killing the ant, but it really came down to the ants or me.
Not long after I moved into my new home I discovered ants had infested one of my rooms. I tried everything to dissuade them from visiting me.
First there was baking soda.
One would have thought it had snowed in my house, there was so much baking soda sprinkled around the room. The ants walked right through it.
Then there was vinegar, and cinnamon.
I scrubbed all surfaces with dish soap, which they are said to loathe, and bleach.
The ants had obviously been long established in the house and came at me with kamikaze determination despite my benign approach. They were taking over the room, and I feared they would infest the whole house.
I resorted to ant traps, ordered from Amazon. After these failed to deter my uninvited guests, I called in a professional. Hundreds of dollars later, the ants finally stopped coming. Although, they didn't stop right away. The last stragglers that came seemed to be struggling before they expired. It was rather sad. Made me wonder how much ants suffer (science blog to follow).
I wasn't so sad, however, that I couldn't exploit the situation and take a picture of my slow-moving ant--the ant that appears in my collage.
Template Photo by @shaka for LMAC #206
Artists in the LMAC community interpreted this photo in many ways. However, after reading about my ant saga, readers will not be surprised to learn I thought of ant hills when I saw the picture. Hence, my collage featuring a lighthouse menaced by swarming, giant ants.
After some investigation and comparison with images I found on the Internet, I concluded that my ants are a common variety, Monomorium minimum, otherwise known as little black ants. I could be wrong and would welcome correction from one of the more informed Hive bloggers, such as @abneagro or @jaki01.
My collage:
I thought of the wonderful buildings @redheadpei has posted in the LIL Gallery. I knew one of them would do for my plan. I wanted a building, surrounded by the mounds of earth in the template. When I saw the lighthouse, I thought it was perfect. Plus, it's beautiful.
Once I decided on the lighthouse, I needed a sea scene, and @muelli obliged, once again in the LIL Gallery. The birds--thank you @yaziris for the pigeon, and thank you @redheadpei for the seagull--are added not only for visual effect. Both pigeons and seagulls feast on ants. As a matter of fact, one source claims that seagulls love to eat ants because the acid ants produce gives the gulls a kind of high.
All elements used today are from the LIL Gallery, plus of course @shaka's template.
Elements used in my collage:
Lighthouse
@redheadpei
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/6308Bird
@redheadpei
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/7700Beach, Rocks and Sand
@muelli
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/6139Beware of Dog Sign
@agmoore
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/10102Pigeon
@yaziris
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/7642Ant
@agmoore
personal photo
LIL is not only a valuable image resource for the Hive community, but is also a way for community members to participate in LMAC. Anyone on Hive can contribute to the library and everyone can borrow from it. Learn about the procedure here.
Every week we offer prizes to fifteen finalists in the contest, but it's not only the prizes people create for. I, for example, don't compete but spend hours giving vent to my imagination. Others in the community have developed the habit of 'speaking' through collage.
This week's contest has concluded. But a new contest will begin on Thursday, with a brand new template. Please join in the fun.
As @shaka has said many times, everyone is an artist. I may not be an artist in the technical sense, but LMAC allows me to nurture my own unique artistic voice.
Thank you for reading. Peace and health to all.
You could have just moved in a couple of seagulls and a pigeon...job done!:)
😂🤣
I remember when I had an ant infestation.
Posted about it on stem too.
These ants were eating up the paint and making pretty-horrible snowflakes designs😂😂😂😂
Found the post!!
https://peakd.com/hive-196387/@seki1/the-ants-are-hungry
Also just reminded me of the stem community...
Been long I visited there😂😂
I just read that post. Hilarious. Years ago I had carpenter ants in my old house. I chopped down a tree that was touching the house and they went away.
Time for another STEM post, I think...
Hehe😂
Saying you gave the ant a quick death was funny, lol
We’ve got too much ants too and sometimes insecticide won’t even work for them
I've heard they can become immune to insecticide. Apparently, not this kind of ant though. It would drive me nuts to have them coming into my house.
Thanks for chuckling :)
The fight against ant colonies is never easy, because as long as the queen exists she will continue to bring more and more workers to life, so for greater effectiveness it is necessary to look for the place where the colony was established, because usually the queens do not leave the nest. Something that is usually useful to control their populations is to use baking soda but combined with sugar, water and a little flour, make small balls with the mixture and place them in the places where they are most seen.
On the other hand, the photo of the ant is not very good to identify it, as far as I can see they are very small and it would be necessary to observe certain structures of its body with the help of some equipment (microscope, magnifying glass, etc). However, maybe your conclusion as a Monomorium cf minimum is not so wrong, as it could be one of the species of that genus Monomorium.
Very creative this post @agmoore, the ant problem had some inspiration to add it in the collage 😄, nice reading you and sorry I couldn't help with the ant identification. Hope all is well and that the ant problem is solved at your place 😃.
As I was tagged, too ... :-)
I agree.
Maybe. However, I think typical for most Monomorium species is an elongated structure with two humps just before the abdomen begins, and I cannot spot that in the picture ...
It may be helpful to know where (which country?) these ants have been found but might still not be easy to identify their genus (or even exact species) having just that single photo.
That's right, identifying by photos some arthropods is not easy and it is not safe either, since the ant looks very small I see feasible to play it safe by observing with the help of equipment some of its structures for a better attempt, I left this in the previous comment. On the other hand, the country where @agmoore is located is in the United States, specifically New York (although I don't know if it changed to another city 😄). There are groups in the family Formicidae that are somewhat complex to identify, so as you comment, it is quite possible that you will not get to the species, but perhaps you will get to the genus by having the ant under a microscope.
Hello @jaki01,
Hope you don't mind the mention, but when I think of 'bug' experts I think of you and @abneagro. Thanks very much for responding to the mention.
I live in New York, USA, on Long Island. It seems Monomorium minimum is quite common here. That picture is about as good as I can manage. My photography skills are basic😇.
The ant body has long ago been dispatched, so can't tell if it had the two humps you describe, although I have noted these in pictures.
Hope you and your family are continuing to acclimate to the new home you are establishing. Your blogs about the adjustment and the Philippines are fascinating. I will continue to follow with interest.
Thanks very much again for responding. Health and peace to you and your lovely family.
Regards,
AG
At least when using my mobile phone I also regularly fail to make good ant photos - they are simply too small, and in addition move rather fast most of the time (so you are not alone). :-)
Thank you very much for responding to my mention, @abneagro. I can't take a better photo. Don't have the equipment. I had several specimens to show the exterminator because I wanted to be sure he treated for the proper insect. I have purchased a "guarantee", which means he has to find the queen or keep coming back.
I did read about mixing sugar and flour with the baking soda, but didn't want to attract other insects. Ants are enough😄
Making the collages is a nice outlet for me. I'm not much of an artist, but this is a way for me to express myself that feels like art.
I hope you are well and that life is peaceful where you are. Thanks again for that response.
Regards, AG
Well, the mixture with the baking soda will also be fatal for other insects such as cockroaches, at home I always place but mostly for cockroaches, as I currently have no problems with ants. At least you have that "guarantee" with the exterminator, time will be the one that will assure you if the exterminator did a good job, although I would say yes, since the products they use are almost always effective.
Ants seem to love the rich red soil on PEI. I’ve seem every kind imaginable except fire ants!
I used a combination of sugar and baking soda to deter them but usually have to buy some ant dust to scatter around the outside of the house.
Thanks for including my lil image. 😊
Temps are warming up and grass is turning green.
Hope you are keeping well and enjoying the nice weather, my friend.
It seems like everybody has or has had ants. They sure do get around, don't they? Yes, one comment already suggested sugar and baking soda. I think that the infestation here was quite established and I needed professional help. They were driving me crazy😆
I love your pictures. Memorable, always.
Temps are warming here also. Grass not really green. I don't know the story with this house, but intend to get out there and work on my yard. I think then I will feel truly at home.
Be well, my dear friend, @redheadpei. Thank you for visiting :)
Ants are always very annoying, I remember my mother used to buy some chalk and make a circle on the things where she kept the sugar and other groceries. I don't know what was in that chalk but the ants wouldn't get past that circle.
I hope that apart from the ants you are very happy in your new home.
The collage is very nice as always! Happy weekend my friend! 🌺
I'd love to know what was in that chalk :)
They only infested one room. The exterminator seems to have done an effective job, but I don't have confidence in the long-term outcome. That's why I bought a 'guarantee'--cost me double for that!
I am happy in my new home. Can't wait to get outside and work on the yard. When I make something grow, I think I will truly feel at home. Putting down roots, literally 😇. It's too cold right now. In a couple of weeks.
Hope you are having a peaceful, restful weekend, my friend @mballesteros. Thank you for visiting. 🌈