Ants

[devils son in law]

I stashed my bicycle, helmet and shoes in the woods and went for a long run. When I returned to retrieve my bike i realized I had hidden it on a small ant hill. It's not fun being treated like a chew toy when you're hot, sweaty and tired.

 

[Erica]

Fire ants swim. In a flood, they gather up into great balls and then latch onto whatever they bump into.

I’ve been dealing with them for almost 30 years and they still will get me when I’m not looking. They are all over the yard and garden.

That said, one can avoid fire ants. When the black flies are swarming you can’t avoid them.

 

[Eddie2002]

I've had to deal with both of them. Up in Maine wearing socks over you pants in August isn't a fashion statement, it's a survival move. Down here in Florida shorts only give the fire ants more space to crawl up and bite. I have to rate fire ants a little worse because they leave a pustule like a pimple that takes weeks to heal. When camping in Florida I spread Fire Ant bait which helps keep them away.

 

[Odyssey]

Personal protection measures against fire ant attacks - PubMed

Socks provide some degree of protection from fire ant stings; therefore, children living in fire ant-infested areas should wear them. Fire ants appear unable to sting through many commercially available socks. Cotton tights may be useful in protecting the lower extremities of children. Fire ants...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Yeah, I'll rather take a week of blackflies than a moment with these nasty stinging ants.

 

[ScottS]

Move to Iceland, I just read that they don’t have ants.

and no mosquitos, and not a lot of canoe water

 

[Boreal Birch]

I’ve only been in the airport outside of Reykjavík enroute to other places. Next time I head to Europe I am planing to take advantage of a their seven day layover plan.
I understand that at certain times the fishing is spectacular like at certain times here in Alaska.

 

[ScottS]

I’ve only been in the airport outside of Reykjavík enroute to other places. Next time I head to Europe I am planing to take advantage of a their seven day layover plan.
I understand that at certain times the fishing is spectacular like at certain times here in Alaska.

I've done 2 bike tours in Iceland although it was almost 25 years ago. The airport is, by far, the ugliest place in Iceland. As you go away from Keflavik, it just keeps getting more and more beautiful, especially if one gets off of the ring road and explores other areas. And now we're off topic, but Iceland is more interesting than ants.