Thursday, September 24, 2009

Big red ants are here, Kerengga.



 












Kerengga

Ocoephylla Smaradgina
Weaver ants

I stumbled upon this in one of Kakdah's hanging pots at the porch. It was unusual because the nest was really small for these red kerengga or weaver ants. There were hardly 10 of them. I poured water slowly into the pot, trying not to disturb them.

It made me wonder why on earth they choose Kakdah's plant to set up up a new colony. These must be a splinter group from a bigger colony at Tanjung tree some 20 metres away. The council planted rows of Tanjung trees along the walkway... Are these ants chased out from their mainland, the tanjung tree or are they having stronger enterprising blood [do they have blood?] venturing out for greener pasture? Are they on practical assignment to sharpen their skills ?..huh.

I just grabbed  the camera ,
clicked a few shots and
got back in without saying a word.

~BANGCHIK AND KAKDAH
Putrajaya, MALAYSIA

16 comments:

  1. It looks like they are talking to you or posing for the photo. I get ants on my containers on the back deck...especially after a rainy period they come to where it is dry.

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  2. OH my. Those are quite the little ants.

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  3. Yes, I guess ants aren't supposed to do any harm to plants or crops, right? It's just hard to believe or leave them alone when you see a whole nest of them up and down your plants. Or moving along in a straight line somewhere - it's like what are they doing and where are they going??!!!

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  4. Do the red ants sting? Around here when you say "red ants" everyone shudders, thinking of the fire ants...even though they don't look the same.

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  5. They are difficult to get rid of but I love the photos.

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  6. Bangchik, Congratulations and Best of Luck! Tahniah!

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  7. They're taking over Earth, Bangchik. Garden by garden, plant by plant.

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  8. You are so kind to the fire ants. When my daughters were young, they bit them so much.

    In July, I was in Miri photographing the water jambu. Ah Yo!!!!! they went all over my body.

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  9. I am scared of these ants. They bite!

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  10. We've got plenty of those in our yard. They would track on the fence. Their nests look really scary where they would stick the leaves together and make a pod. And do they bite!!

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  11. Those ants seems to be very angry. I don´t think we have that kind of ants here in Sweden.
    Your shots are fine anyway.
    Have a nice day

    Gunilla in Sweden

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  12. will you look at those busy bodies! red ants are those that bites, don't they?

    i prefer the black ones, the reds looks fierce!

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  13. Their bites are so painful that you will remember forever.

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  14. JANET
    KIM AND VICTORIA
    WENDY

    They are posing and talking to me. "Can you leave us alone!" would be the most probable one. These ants normally live high on trees, their NEST well weaved, and would probably be dry, even in rain.

    They are not small, in fact one of the bigger ones around.

    We always claim garden as completely ours, therefore ants are trespassers. In language we never understand, I think ants and other insects also claim the same!!

    JEANNE
    POETIC
    BELLE

    Huh, they really bite! a short and sharp pain. These ants are cruel, because as they bite, they spray acid as well, to worsen the pain.

    Forget about the pain when they bite. On the whole, these ants are friendly to gardeners, they are guardians!

    I suppose that congratulations are meant for the blog and the blogger selected to be in the finals of Blotanical Award 2009. Well, Thanks...

    SUNITA
    ANN
    STEPHANIE

    Yes, they are taking back what has been theirs for zillion of years before man put boundary to lands.

    On a lighter note, I simply say, ants bites are good because it becomes a "check" of how excellent is your sensory organs. The bites put test to your reflexes too... haha.

    Yea, girls are always scared of ants.. Boys never!... huh!..haha.


    OCEAN GIRL
    GUNILLA
    SALITYPE

    These ants are skillful. They weave the nest beautifully, the inside will always be cosy and dry. It has to be, because the Queen stays there!!

    These ants may have cousins all over the place, including Sweden.

    The worst bites over here are from the black ants, tiny but bad! the reds are harmless on pain scale.

    RAINNIE
    I take your word for that.... But there is this weird phenomena, called "being immune". After a couple of bites, the next will be less painful.

    Cheers, have a wonderful day,
    ~bangchik
    Putrajaya, MALAYSIA.

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  15. Ants are such fascinating creatures - the way they've set up their whole society. These guys are cute - almost like cartoon characters.

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  16. JGH... they are cute until they start biting your arm and you start yelling... I guess the rule is, leave them alone, they are natural guardians. ~bangchik

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