We've had an interesting year for insects. First, the cicada invasion in early summer, and now... ANTS.
If you haven't noticed yet, give it some time because ant hills are popping up faster than a kernel in a hot bag of popcorn; literally overnight in many cases. These hills are beginning to look like a sea of small pitching mounds. Here's a photo I took today outside the WLBT studio.
So the question is, why now in late October? The answer... RAIN!. Until the soaking last weekend, we were dealing with one of the worst droughts in years across Central and South Mississippi. Many spots were running 10 to 12 inches below average since July. In order to escape hot and dry conditions, ant colonies move below ground seeking moisture and cooler temperatures; for the most part, they remained under ground all summer. Now that we're finally getting rain again (and lots of it) along with continued mild temperatures, ants are coming out of their cool, summer bungalow/hiatus to reap the benefits.
More rain arrives this weekend, and as temperatures remain above average expect more ant hills to pop up over the coming days.
Be sure to join us this evening and tonight on WLBT. You can also find me on social media: Facebook and Twitter
Michael Haynes
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