Swarming Ants Destroy Electronics in Texas

Swarming Ants Destroy Electronics in Texas 328

Posted by timothy on Thursday May 15, 2008 @08:34AM from the where's-tiny-ender-when-you-need-him dept.

AntOverlords writes "Voracious swarming ants that apparently arrived in Texas aboard a cargo ship are invading homes and yards across the Houston area, shorting out electrical boxes and messing up computers. They have ruined pumps at sewage pumping stations, fouled computers and at least one homeowner's gas meter, and caused fire alarms to malfunction. They have been spotted at NASA's Johnson Space Center and close to Hobby Airport, though they haven't caused any major problems there yet."

Swarming Ants Destroy Electronics in Texas

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Ob. post (Score:4, Funny)

by tomhudson ( 43916 ) writes: <barbara,hudson&barbara-hudson,com> on Thursday May 15, 2008 @08:36AM (#23416416) Journal

I for one welcome our swarming ant overlords - just so long as they stay in YOUR neighborhood.

Blame Apache (Score:5, Funny)

by dintech ( 998802 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @08:36AM (#23416418)

The ants are finally tired of building my Java code for me I see.

It was only a matter of time ... (Score:5, Funny)

by Falstius ( 963333 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @08:36AM (#23416430)

Biological cyber warefare! Did anyone check their heads for lasers?

Undocumented insects (Score:5, Funny)

by Malevolent Tester ( 1201209 ) * writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @08:37AM (#23416434) Journal

They're just destroying the electronics that American ants won't.

My electronics they can have.... (Score:3, Funny)

by whoppo ( 218875 ) * writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @08:43AM (#23416474)

.... just keep 'em out of my beer.

Re:It was only a matter of time ... (Score:5, Funny)

by Yvan256 ( 722131 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @08:44AM (#23416478) Homepage Journal

Don't be silly. These are ants, not sharks.

Treat that with penecillin (Score:5, Funny)

by Critical Facilities ( 850111 ) * writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @08:50AM (#23416540)

"paratrenicha species near pubens"

Is it just me, or does that sound like some type of STD?

Just wait for the frenzy... (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @08:53AM (#23416576)

Just wait for the frenzy of right wing nuts screaming about how immigrants are destroying the country... blah blah blah!

Re:Invasive Species (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @08:54AM (#23416588)

Yet another fine example of invasive species coming to the mainland on improperly inspected container cargo.

Fire ants, Killer bees, Chestnut blight, Dutch Elm Disease, Sudden Oak Death (all invasive and here because of lax monitoring).
You forgot Europeans from that list.

rhedi_phredi (Score:3, Funny)

by rhedi_phredi ( 526392 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @08:58AM (#23416630)

But do they eat paper ballots as well as Diebold voting machines?

Re:Everytime something like this happens... (Score:5, Funny)

by Malevolent Tester ( 1201209 ) * writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @08:59AM (#23416650) Journal

Small swarming animals are very much in advantage here
Fortunately, there are a limited number of Welshmen in the world.

Re:First computer bug (Score:5, Funny)

by dotancohen ( 1015143 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @09:08AM (#23416752) Homepage

You must be new here
He's an ant.

Re:Happens all the time Mexico (Score:4, Funny)

by dotancohen ( 1015143 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @09:13AM (#23416814) Homepage

TFA says that the ants come from Caribean areas, so Mexico would be on the way as well. After reading TFA I'm a little worried for the people in the area, this looks like the start of something major. Typhoon, earthquake, killer ants, what next? Better get Bruce Willis to start astronaut training real soon.

Re:Serious Problem (Score:4, Funny)

by spikedvodka ( 188722 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @09:19AM (#23416882)

Serious Problem: Posting on /. Before Coffee

News at 11

Stupid Ants ... (Score:4, Funny)

by HW_Hack ( 1031622 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @09:19AM (#23416894)

don't they know about not messing with Texas

Re:Happens all the time Mexico (Score:3, Funny)

by ArhcAngel ( 247594 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @09:21AM (#23416922)

This is news for nerds. It didn't become news until they started killing computers. Now we're incensed!

Glad I live in North Houston. The buggers will never get past Pasadena! Nothing survives Pasadena.....for very long.

Locusts (Score:5, Funny)

by drooling-dog ( 189103 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @09:40AM (#23417184)

I think that "acts of God" applies specifically to locusts...

Re:Happened to me (Score:5, Funny)

by AceJohnny ( 253840 ) writes: <jlargentaye&gmail,com> on Thursday May 15, 2008 @09:41AM (#23417192) Journal

I've now had to resort to drawing circles of protection around my electronics with insecticide chalk to keep the damn critters out...
I draw pentagrams. Keeps ants and demons away!

Obvious solution (Score:3, Funny)

by hcdejong ( 561314 ) writes: <hobbes@nOspam.xmsnet.nl> on Thursday May 15, 2008 @09:46AM (#23417252)

A moat filled with gasoline.

Whoops, There Goes Another ... (Score:3, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @09:50AM (#23417302)

My god, will no one think of the rubber tree plants!?

Ants (Score:3, Funny)

by maxrate ( 886773 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @10:01AM (#23417442)

Damn you Wesley Crusher and your wild nanites!

Re:Everytime something like this happens... (Score:5, Funny)

by Ihmhi ( 1206036 ) writes: <i_have_mental_health_issues@yahoo.com> on Thursday May 15, 2008 @10:02AM (#23417468)

and because they can reproduce in a more flexible way.

Hey! We humans can reproduce in many flexible ways [wikipedia.org]. ^.~

Re:Treat that with penecillin (Score:5, Funny)

by Rob the Bold ( 788862 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @10:04AM (#23417500)

No, more like a sexually transmitted parasite.

It's a baby, you insensitive clod!

Re:Serious Problem (Score:3, Funny)

by street struttin' ( 1249972 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @10:32AM (#23417830)

Oh, ok. So we just need to make cold computers. How hard could that be?

Re:Uhmmm... (Score:5, Funny)

by hyades1 ( 1149581 ) writes: <hyades1@hotmail.com> on Thursday May 15, 2008 @10:33AM (#23417850)

"They are the size of fleas but they eat ladybugs? How does that work, exactly?"
The key word here is "they". It's plural. I eat cows...but not by myself.

Bring 'em on! (Score:2, Funny)

by kd5sfk ( 1235808 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @10:33AM (#23417852)

When I read the headline, I thought they were talking about fire ants--which would be very old news. Fire ants invaded the country decades ago. We've known for years that fire ants have an affinity for electrical equipment. But these little buggers eat fire ants, so I say bring 'em on. I don't see how anything that eats fire ants can be considered to be a pest.

Re:Smug New Englander (Score:4, Funny)

by PeanutButterBreath ( 1224570 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @10:35AM (#23417870)

I live in new england, Massachusetts, the next town over from Boston. It gets below zero (F) in the winter, and gets above 100 (F) in the summer. It rains a lot. It has heat waves.
Thanks for the warning. I'll just deal with the ants.

Re:My electronics they can have.... (Score:3, Funny)

by cez ( 539085 ) writes: <info.historystartingyesterday@com> on Thursday May 15, 2008 @10:44AM (#23417984) Homepage

and my pants...

Re:First computer bug (Score:5, Funny)

by IronMagnus ( 777535 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @10:45AM (#23418002)

Anyone find it interesting that one "Grace Hopper" reported that... dangerously similar to Grass Hopper... its an entire insect conspiracy!!!

Re:Happened to me (Score:4, Funny)

by Bazer ( 760541 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @11:37AM (#23418624)

I would too but the last time I did it, my BSD died.

Re:First computer bug (Score:5, Funny)

by dotancohen ( 1015143 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @11:37AM (#23418626) Homepage

A male alate (winged ant)? If just a regular worker ant, then a female. All worker ants are females.
I'll give you a hint. [S]He's posting at /.. The male:female ratio here rivals the matter:antimatter ratio of tapwater.

Re:Everytime something like this happens... (Score:2, Funny)

by Mister Whirly ( 964219 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @11:51AM (#23418788) Homepage

"You are only alive because ants don't view you as a threat."

No, the ants are only alive because Chuck Norris lets them live.

Re:Undocumented insects (Score:2, Funny)

by operagost ( 62405 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @11:59AM (#23418896) Homepage Journal

He should have deployed wave after wave of needle snakes. Gorillas love snake meat, and in the winter they freeze to death.

Re:Serious Problem (Score:5, Funny)

by The_Unforgiven ( 521294 ) writes: <.gro.itox. .ta. .ekim.> on Thursday May 15, 2008 @12:04PM (#23418998) Homepage

Uh, excuse me, I think you mean "anal". :)

Holy crap (Score:3, Funny)

by oGMo ( 379 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @01:01PM (#23419980)

Swarm around electronics... general pests... don't like the sun...
Nerd ants!

Re:Ob. post (Score:4, Funny)

by dextromulous ( 627459 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @02:36PM (#23421992) Homepage

This is probably the closest we'll ever come to the situation that prompted Kent Brockman to say "And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords" and you go and screw it up! Hand in your nerd card, please. Hail ants!

Re:First computer bug (Score:5, Funny)

by dotancohen ( 1015143 ) writes: on Thursday May 15, 2008 @03:52PM (#23423368) Homepage

Then what makes them female?
You don't see them posting here, do you?

There may be more comments in this discussion. Without JavaScript enabled, you might want to turn on Classic Discussion System in your preferences instead.

Ob. post (Score:4, Funny)

Blame Apache (Score:5, Funny)

It was only a matter of time ... (Score:5, Funny)

Undocumented insects (Score:5, Funny)

My electronics they can have.... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:It was only a matter of time ... (Score:5, Funny)

Treat that with penecillin (Score:5, Funny)

Just wait for the frenzy... (Score:1, Funny)

Re:Invasive Species (Score:5, Funny)

rhedi_phredi (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Everytime something like this happens... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:First computer bug (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Happens all the time Mexico (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Serious Problem (Score:4, Funny)

Stupid Ants ... (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Happens all the time Mexico (Score:3, Funny)

Locusts (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Happened to me (Score:5, Funny)

Obvious solution (Score:3, Funny)

Whoops, There Goes Another ... (Score:3, Funny)

Ants (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Everytime something like this happens... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Treat that with penecillin (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Serious Problem (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Uhmmm... (Score:5, Funny)

Bring 'em on! (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Smug New Englander (Score:4, Funny)

Re:My electronics they can have.... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:First computer bug (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Happened to me (Score:4, Funny)

Re:First computer bug (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Everytime something like this happens... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Undocumented insects (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Serious Problem (Score:5, Funny)

Holy crap (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Ob. post (Score:4, Funny)

Re:First computer bug (Score:5, Funny)

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