Big Boys Hobbies

The ants go marching one by one...

Chipk

Chipk

Elite Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2013
Messages
3,315
Location
Jacksonville / Yulee Florida
Well I relearned a valuable lesson today: NO MATTER HOW GOOD A SIGNAL SOUNDS, IF ITS IN AN ANTHILL, LET IT BE!

Picked up what sounded like a silver dime squarely in the center of what appeared to be an inactive ant mound. It was in the middle of the ant condo and about 6 inches down. I was wearing gloves and surely I was faster than those tiny little buggers so I went for it.
Well I was fast but they were faster. I guess 6 legs adds speed. I quickly dug the hole, jammed in my pinpointer and snatched the coin out. However I also pulled out a couple hundred angry ants that clamored up and over my gloves onto some tender flesh. Meanwhile another army was going up my Lesche to my other arm as a battalion or more went into my shoes and socks and more attacked my kneeling knee.

Anybody watching probably were intrigued by my dance moves as I was trying to dislodge my unwanted flesh eating guests and attempts to brush them off only spread them further along my unprotected body.

Tonight I am treating about 3 dozen bites as I Examine the dime I sacrificed so much for.

A 2000 clad dime.
 
OUCH,
Lesson passed on to me, no red ants up here in NY, BUT I do plan to take the MD when visiting down south....
 
That is hilarious ! Next time try a bit of lighter fluid and ignite. Hence the term "Fire Ants". People out here have been killed by those things.
 
If you want a bit of vicarious revenge, watch the videos of guys who make casts of fire ant mounds by pouring molten aluminum in them. Fight fire with fire.... :)

-- Tom
 
That sucks. I am so glad here we have no worries except the murder hornets :laughing::laughing:

On the downside the lack of history for metal detecting is depressing
 
Oh wow. Sorry that you had to sacrifice so much for a dime. Maybe I should stop bringing a cookie in a zip lock bag for a quick "middle hunt" snack?

Josh
 
I've flipped over a few plugs only to see ants all over the bottom of the plug and in the hole. I quickly close the hole and don't even turn on my pinpointer.
 
I disagree!
IF its a 27-33 on the nox, its them or me.
I will not let a bunch of fire ants have my silver coin.
Done this many times! Won a few, lost a few.
Have the battle scars to prove it.
HH!
Tom
 
Ran into those fire ants while down in Gainesville Florida , not fun by any means , lots of bites and small blisters . Ran me out of one old site 1900 house because they had moved topsoil around and the fire ants were on the move all over the place.
 
Metal detecto said:
Oh wow. Sorry that you had to sacrifice so much for a dime. Maybe I should stop bringing a cookie in a zip lock bag for a quick "middle hunt" snack?

Josh
Click to expand...

don't know if you have those fire ants out where you are in CA , but they are something else. Definatly not like our regular ants here in Missouri.:laughing:
 
davidlhyde63366 said:
don't know if you have those fire ants out where you are in CA , but they are something else. Definatly not like our regular ants here in Missouri.:laughing:
Click to expand...

I need to take one bite from my cookie (thanks mom, you make the best) then stuff it in the ziploc because the ants come out begging. I feel bad squashing them, so I need to run off. If it were fire ants, I would be toast.

Josh :lol:
 
Just be thankful you were not allergic to their bites or it could have been serious, even if you are not allergic the bites are no fun, I have only been bitten by a stray fire ant a few times since moving to South Carolina.

I have learned to watch where I am stepping when on grassy ground, definitely want to avoid stepping backwards without looking first :shock:

That is one of the reasons that I would not want to hunt at night.

In your situation it might had been best to use a long stick to dig into the mound to see if it was active before proceeding. I have poured bleach onto fire ant mounds in my own yard but you obviously wouldn't want to do that elsewhere unless it was already rough looking terrain.

From what I understand fire ants were not originally in South Carolina but at some point in the past probably were brought here accidently.

They come out a lot faster than this......
ants animated.gif
 
I unknowingly stepped into a hill of fire ants while living in Texas in the mid-80s. I was fishing at the time I immediately jumped into the water and the pants came off and the fire began.
 
If we are honest I think many of us have made that same mistake only to learn they are faster and outnumber us by the thousands. Just file it away in the "now I know better file"
HH :)
 
fire ants

GKL said:
Just be thankful you were not allergic to their bites or it could have been serious, even if you are not allergic the bites are no fun, I have only been bitten by a stray fire ant a few times since moving to South Carolina.

I have learned to watch where I am stepping when on grassy ground, definitely want to avoid stepping backwards without looking first :shock:

That is one of the reasons that I would not want to hunt at night.

In your situation it might had been best to use a long stick to dig into the mound to see if it was active before proceeding. I have poured bleach onto fire ant mounds in my own yard but you obviously wouldn't want to do that elsewhere unless it was already rough looking terrain.

From what I understand fire ants were not originally in South Carolina but at some point in the past probably were brought here accidently.

They come out a lot faster than this......
View attachment 484237
Click to expand...

Seems like they swarm on you before you know it ,then all start biting at once. Can't brush them off fast enough .
 
davidlhyde63366 said:
Seems like they swarm on you before you know it ,then all start biting at once. Can't brush them off fast enough .
Click to expand...

Just did a search and found this web page:

https://muschealth.org/medical-services/geriatrics-and-aging/healthy-aging/fire-ants

quotes from the above link:

"These unwelcome residents came from South America and with the exception of humans have no natural enemies and this explains their ubiquitous presence now throughout most of the South....."

"The disturbed and aggressive fire ants will swarm onto you and with a signal all the female ants will bite your skin and insert their stinger and quickly inject venom in that spot and rotate around and inject more venom nearby."

"The venom also contains several allergenic proteins that can cause anaphylaxis in patients who are allergic to the proteins. Antigenic similarity exists between these proteins and bee and wasp venoms."

Some of the first aid tips include:

Wash the area gently with soap and water to rid the skin of any venom on it
Disinfect bite with alcohol
Place cool cloth or ice cloth on sites for 15 minutes
 
I do not understand how the fire ants know to build directly over a nice target. And frequently they hide until you start digging.
 
To the tune of the Ants Go Marching:
Formicae iter fa-ciunt nunc sin-guli,
Formicae iter fa-ciunt nunc sin-guli!
Formicae iter faciunt, pauli hastas jaci-unt
Et om-nes e-unt sub terra
fugeunt plu-via bom, bom bom bom!
Sage(Yes, it's Latin!)Grouse
 
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