I saw a National Geographic show where a man discovered the natural enemy of fire ants.He went to South America, and found that there is a tiny fly that can kill them, and disrupt the daily activities of the ants.
The flies live for about 4 days; in that time they fly around the ants. The ants panic sending off a hormone that causes the flies to go into a mating frenzy. The female has the ability to pierce the armour of the ant as she lays a single larva into the back of the ant. The larva then begins to feed on the host causing a slow death.
When an ant is pierced the other ants stop what they're doing to comfort the injured comrades. They also collect the bodies of the dead ants & pile them outside the entrance.
When the new fly emerges, and its wings dry, the process is started all over again.
In the southern states of America fire ants have overtaken the land. They are aggressive, and have devistated the eco system by killing everything in their path. They have even evolved into having huge labyrinths that now contain multiple queens.
If all the states affected by the ant population were to begin cultivating the flies than there is a chance of keeping the ants in a more harmonious balance.
I have lived in Texas, and those things are vicious. It's a shame that no one, in 70 years, has thought to look for the natural enemy of the fire ant.
channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/ET/popup/200607291900.html - 26k
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