Wednesday, May 26, 2010

The Hills







Tiny hole in a mound of sand,
Each ant created by our Lord's hand
Each ant knows it's place in God's great scheme
Running their hill as a tiny team.
Instinct, evolution, or all in God's plan
Working together better than man.
Angela S. Young



These pictures show just some of the anthills right outside our back door. They are everywhere. My first picture is from the web and shows a model of what their homes look like under the hills. They have a series of underground chambers, all connected by tunnels. They have rooms designated as kitchens, nurseries, even bedrooms for mating. These ants come into our kitchen and we have to seal up all the food. Even then, they crawl on the counters. I should step on these anthills and destroy their homes, shouldn't I? Stop it at the source. But as much as I kill ants without a qualm, I can't bring myself the smash their houses. I'm not sure if this says something good about me or not. I think of all that work and labor that went into the making of the hills, and don't want to destroy them with one step. Why can I kill a living ant and not it's home? Especially when it might help keep them out of MY home. But perhaps destroying the hills would just leave them scattered and they would come inside more then they do now. So what do you say, shall I be a homewrecker?



"Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." Hebrews 3:3,4

10 comments:

Kilauea Poetry said...

Lol..our timing is great! But how fascinating..I saw something on them once and how the tended to the aphids like a rancher would his cattle! Those chambers are cool!
OK, I just picked up some bait a friend of mine recommended..I know.. but we have a serious problem here though I kind of understand your softness. Anyway, they ruined an expensive water filter- strange and for three days in a row have gotten into my birds feed. That freeks me out. We found a small bird that was injured once..took him in. Sweet and responsive, he looked as though he would make it but we found him later covered in ants! This could be worse here in the tropics? Ant hills (aside from my garden maybe) are another thing like you say). I love that verse Ginny. Sorry, they've been on my mind a little.

From the Kitchen said...

I can totally relate. It's easy for me to "take out" those little bugs by crushing, drowning, etc. but I step around their homes. So far I haven't seen one in the house but this is the year I call up the troops because I've tried every natural remedy known to mankind and they thrive on it!!

Best,
Bonnie

George said...

The picture of model of an ant hill is amazing -- no wonder they are so hard to eliminate. I have to admit that I use bait in the yard, but only with limited success.

DawnTreader said...

I couldn't for the life of me figure out what that thing in the first picture was supposed to be. I thought it might be some piece of modern art! LOL (seen too much of that lately I suppose)

If it really looks like that under ground, just stepping on their entrances probably won't stop them. They'll just make a new door.

You probably have to strew some kind of poison around your house, or strong-smelling stuff that confuses their sense of smell. Once one ant has found something interesting, it makes a trail for its mates to follow.

Many years ago one summer I was watering the indoor plants for friends of mine while they were away. They lived in a flat on the 2nd floor. I found their kitchen full of ants having found their way up the wall and balcony. They were having a big party, because some empty unwashed soda bottles had been left on the worktop, and above there was a cupboard full of candy, some of it without cover... I had to throw away all their goodies, wash out those bottles, clean the worktop and floor, and then buy ant-poison and strew that along the threshold and wall to the balcony.

Stephanie V said...

Oh, I laughed at your anthills in the yard. We have them, too, and I imagine that our house is built over a huge underground tunnel construction. Kind of scary, maybe.
They do get in the garden and then I don't like them. But I find it hard to think of destrying them. I really am a sentimental gardener :(

aspiritofsimplicity said...

we have ants in our house now! they are the bigger black kind. yuck. Outside in the front yard there are lots of ant hills but they are the small black kind. Yuck just the same though.

Together We Save said...

I don't like ants... so I poision my yard for them and fleas... I have had them inside before and they are so hard to get rid of! I say.... be a home wrecker!!

SquirrelQueen said...

I love the model of the ant's home, it does look like a work of art. They have such a complicated social structure and are very industrious. But with all of that said I do not want them in my house. We have a lot of problems with ants around the outside of our house and I do put out bait to kill them. So far they have not invaded our house.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

I guess I'm a bad person, Ginny... I have no problem killing ants and their homes. When I lived in Texas and Louisiana and Florida ---we have FIRE Ants... They are HORRIBLE. When one of them bites you, it turns into a horrible welt... And it will itch like crazy... NO FUN...

Guess you are a better person than I am... I'm not much on any BUGS.... Oh Well!!!! Sorry!
Hugs,
Betsy

MadSnapper said...

i can't beleive i missed all these great post in just a couple of days. way cool ginny

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