Insect Activity

Same here. Not an entomologist. Such ant activity suggests that there are floods, or at least a lot of wet weather, on the way.

cheers
John

Hi Honky and Happychap

I sincerely hope you are wrong, as we need water, but we do not need to be flooded in again.

Cheers

Hi Ob

It was the Elders who suggested I ask someone as they have never seen this kind of activity either.

Cheers

Hi Marc, Whilst the idea of rain approaching makes sense, the fact that the Elders have not seen this before is interesting. If anyone takes notice of the environment that they are in it would be the Elders. Could it be that heavy rain is on the way and the ants have altered their preparation in some way?
I am glad that it is you out there and not me as if the Elders said they had not seen it before, I would be gone.

Cheers

Mark

Hi Boeing

My wifes parents may well have seen such before, but they are both in their 80's and frequently have a hard time remembering some things. I would never be so rude as to question them for further information, I am sure if they remember something, they will call for me and I will sit and listen.

The people here would never leave their country because of rain. This land was given back by the High Court of Australia afetr close to 20,000 years of continuous habitation was verified by DNA from old bones. AS i have said before on numerous occasions, most of the people here are about 1 or 2 generations away from being nomads, and until she was in her teens, my wife was a nomad with her parents.

They will never leave their home country, it is a part of them, and they are a part of the land.

Cheers

Not being an entomologist but did work in Uk as an pest advisor, some years back. It was a known fact that when bad weather was on it's way, many animals and insects, would stock up their larder. Then seal up their runs to stop water from entering their abode. White Ants build above ground and move to the upper stories in wet weather. In dry spells you will also see ants taking mud balls into their nests. This is not for water storage but to build up the humidity ( Air Conditioning ) When will were Hunters and Gathers, we would do the same. Move food and water to higher ground. Also stock up fire wood for warmth. Not a lot of difference really. It's called survival......

Bit of a discussion from ABC onlineHERE

Hi Jack and Esarby

I have mentioned what you have sdaid to my wife's parents, and they are getting a bit concerned. Yes we need a wet badly, but we do not need a flood situation again.

Cheers

Hi Fred

Can you please give me the actual web address, as I cannot open links on this site for some reason.

Cheers

Try here Marchttp://www2b.abc.net.au/science/scribblygum-old/posts/topic29.shtm

Fred

This may be easier......

From: Kylie 24/03/2000 13:34:25

Subject: Ants & Rain post id: 29

How do ants know when it is about to rain? A week or so ago, just before Sydney got hit by the current spell of wet weather, I noticed that my home was being over-run by tiny brown ants - they were into everything, the cat food, rubbish, they even ate their way into a sealed chocolate bar. My mother always said that ants coming inside is a sign that it is about to rain, and I have noticed this before. When I told this to my friends they all scoffed at me, but then several days later, I was proved right.

How do they know it's about to rain?

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From: Spazgaz 24/03/2000 23:27:14

Subject: re: Ants & Rain post id: 32

They watch the news.
Thanks.
SPAZGAZ

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From: Spazgaz 24/03/2000 23:28:58

Subject: re: Ants & Rain post id: 33

Things like this occur in other creatures as well.
At my place when it is going to rain, we get 'invaded' by flying black beetles. Rain always comes.
I thik cows can sense it too. Apparently they will sit down in the paddock before rain, ensuring they have a dry patch of grass to sit on.
Thanks.
SPAZGAZ

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From: steve(primus) 25/03/2000 8:59:18

Subject: re: Ants & Rain post id: 41

A week or so ago, just before Sydney got hit by the current spell of wet weather,

Are you sure that the ants' behavior was triggered by the forthcoming rain or was it a coincidence with the activity being triggered by something as mundane as the equinox? March is the wettest month of the year in Sydney so any activity is likely to coincide with rain. Not only that, Sydney is the wettest of the State capital cities and it rains, on average, one day in three. Any ant activity is likely to be followed within a few days by rain even though the two are not related in any way.

Over in Perth, a contributor to the SSS forum, Perdrothefish, paid special attention to the local ants as Tropical Cyclone Steve wended its way aross WA. He knew rain was coming in a few days so he watched the ants carefully to see if they anticipated the rain in any way at all. They didn't. One example does not prove the point but it is a good indicator towards further study on the subject.

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From: Freezer 28/03/2000 16:13:11

Subject: re: Ants & Rain post id: 58

In support of the insect's predictive abilities, there's larval insects in monsoonal countries that develop into their adult form just before the monsoon's come, their larval stage can last for years, because sometimes the monsoon doesn't come, but they always come out, no matter how long it's been, just before the big rains hit, but before there's signs of it coming. I don't think it's known how they do it, but could have something to do with humidity and air pressure. Insects can be amazing little things.


~Freezer~

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From: steve(primus) 29/03/2000 4:34:01

Subject: re: Ants & Rain post id: 60

Freezer, can you tell me which species do this? In monsoonal countries the rains are reliable, some rain will fall every year although some years are wetter than others.

Larval insects underground would not notice variations in humidity in the atmosphere, and in any case there is a diurnal variation in humidity with the highest humidities around dawn, why do they not respond to that? In the tropics, the diurnal variation in pressure is larger than any other pressure variation except that caused by tropical lows and tropial cyclones. I would suggest that the activities of the insects are seasonal and triggered by factors such as variations in day length.

Nearly all the evidence for the predictive abilities of animals and insects is anecdotal. On the one or two occasions where this ability has been tested, it has been found wanting. I am not saying that some species of animal or insect do not have predictive abilities, quite possibly they do, but until a few people do a proper study we just don't know.

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From: Rosie 26/06/2000 14:18:55

Subject: re: Ants & Rain post id: 298

Prediction in creatures: Black cockatoos in my area are said to predict rain, and they do seem to. Also, just before the severe east coast bushfires in January 1994, we saw a huge flight of flying foxes. Did they know the fires were coming? They flew over I think two days before the fires closed the roads and railways. Rupert Sheldrake in "Dogs that know when their owners are coming home" discusses the predictive and homing abilities of animals and birds, and invites feedback on his website.

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Hi Fred

Unfortunately it looks like you and others may be right. It is 1630 hours here now, and 4 hours ago we had a very clear sky and baking sun, now we have some damned angry looking clouds around. Hopefully it will be a brief shower and just cool things down a bit.

The Elders have asked me to thank people for answering their question, and now unfortunately I think people are correct, and we may be in for a bad wet.

Cheers

Just had a look at the Radar Marc, and nasty bit of colour is about where you are.

http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/radar/

Hi again Fred

I don't need to look at the radar, I just went out onto my front porch and the sky is getting very, very grey very quickly.

Cheers

Still do Pete

With all the technology, around the world weather data gathering and satellite pictures, ants still forecast the weather a lot better than the weather forecasters, and know weeks ahead to 'prepare for a deluge'.

So we all agree, Marc and his family are going to get very wet!

Motherhen

Hi MH

I wish it was just me and the family, but this is an entire community. We have a very deep creek between us and Balgo (Wirrimanu), and opnce that creek fills up, we have nowhere at all to go.

Could have come in the New Year though, I have already had a shower this year.......

Cheers

Hi Madfisher

I am quickly learning that the older generations have so much to teach ua, and everytime I get the chance, I offer a cuppa to sit and listen, that way I can learn.

Cheers

Hi Marc

Are the ants moving up hill? This would indicate heavy rain. They are storing for a period of isolation. Your community would be wise to follow suit.

Mh

Hi MH

The Elders have spoken with the Store Committee and have insisted preparation for a bad wet. It usually means 3 or 4 additional road trains in before the wet normally starts, which is usually late December early January, then we almost always get a couple of bad rains in April, but the rest of the year not much.

This year we have had some unseasonal rains, but all is dry at present, so should be able to get stores in.

Cheers

Hi MH again

Sorry, missed your question. Yes, the ants are moving higher, which is something I did not notice at first, but the wife told me they are definitely moving higher as she found some old deserted nests.

Cheers

They know! Just goes to show we're not the smartest species on the planet. Interesting that so many people here have said what I've always been called nutty for saying. The old timers (like my grand father's generation) predicted weather better than they can with all the science we have today.

Mh

Hi again MH

I am doing well, that is two days in a row that I have learned something new, I had better be careful or people may start thinking that I am intelligent. No, my wife would quickly sort that out.

I have no doubt the old timers had things worked out properly, which is why I am always eager to sit and listen to them.

Cheers

Hi

Keep in mind that a "flood" for an ant is completely different to a "flood" for man. No real idea but be careful reading too much into a little bit of apparent increased ant activity.

Cheers
Greg

Hi Greg

I hear what you are saying my friend. There was a heck of a storm last night, but no rain at all, just thunder, lightning....it was a really lovely display to watch.

Cheers

As Explorer says, a flood to an ant may be very different to a flood to us, however they do predict heavy rain storms, and activity can start some weeks ahead.

We have ants here we call meat ants - they are about 10 mls long and build large underground colonies which results in mounds of small stones. During Autumn 2005 they were going crazy, and for the first time ever, droves of them were coming up to our house on a hill and tapping the bitumised area in front of the house, finding every weakness to drill in and start a hilltop refuge. I thought we must be in for a 'flood' of biblical proportions - really meaning heavy rain soon. After a couple of weeks or so of this activity, in Mid March (very early for our season) we got 19 mls. Must have been that, i thought, although the ants had seemed to think we'd get more. Normal seasonal movements with the ants are not so obvious. But the activity continued with more and more frantic ants coming. On 1st April, we had a mighty storm, with 90 mls over a couple of days or so, mostly on that day. We were in Bunbury that day (which was devastated by a worse storm a few days later) and our daughter rang us to say we couldn't get home due to a number of trees across our road.

Many farmers lost large numbers of shorn lambs, and blamed the weather bureau for not giving out a warning as they wouldn't have shorn had they known. It was also unusual in that mostly our rain comes on wind from the north west, but this was mostly on strong wind from the south, and very cold for wet sheep. The weather bureau didn't know - but the ants did.


Mh

Hi

No idea of the circumstances surrounding your observations on ants but think Id be relying on the weather bureau more than the ants. The ants in my yard never predict me turning the sprinklers on :)

Cheers
Greg

Nor does the weather bureau Greg, LOL

They would if they were camped in my yard like the ants :)

Hi BrownyGU

Actually these days the old people are frequently getting interested in what they can learn from the net. My parents-in-law have no English at all, but I am fluent in Kukutja, Walmajarri and a few other languages, so that is not much of a problem.

It was quite humorous when I got a virus at one stage, and triedto explain that, as they sent some women out to get some bush medicine. Made for a good laugh afterwards.

Cheers

Bush medicine for a virus that is gold!

Hi Dru

A really good friend of mine, Mr Gordon (Don) everyone called him, was the bookkeeper there at Blackstone years ago, has anyone heard of him lately.

You have some good luck with the up and coming season to my friend, and keep them bellies full.

Cheers

Hi Moggs

Now I know that you are mocking me. You are talking about the business named Elders, I am talking about the real thing, Aboriginal Elders, you know, people who have been around long enough to be recognised for their wisdom and knowledge.

It has never been said that the activity was suspicious, but your intent in the response I question.

Have a good day.

Hi Marc,

Not mocking you or disrespecting anyone. Just having a bit of fun. I enjoy reading your enetertaing posts and always have a chuckle re: context as 'Elders' means something completely different in my world.

All the best.

Cheers Moggs

I am extremely defensive when it comes to the Aboriginal Elders here. Too many people look at them and listen to them, and decide that because they have very little English, and cannot read and write, that they mustn't be intelligent.

I acknowledge that you were not being disrespectful towards them.

Have a great weekend

Cheers

Hi Marc, They say history repeats itself, so maybe its time for a heap of treated pine planks, a good hand saw & hammer & a bundle of nails & start building another Ark.

But, please, this time make sure they put a pair of that mythical animal, the Unicorn, aboard, as I'm sick of hearing the song about their absence!! LOL

If you decide not issue a boarding pass to any species, please, Oh please could you not allow that species called "wives" to get a berth!! LOL

No offence intended & no idea as to why the unusual behaviour of the ants. I hope your area is not flooded & also hope you keep us informed through your interesting posts of any outcome. Best wishes

Hi Barry F

Things are not looking good, once again we have no clear sky at all, and the lights have all come on at 1715 hours, so maybe we could get a shower tonight.

If any amounts of rain come, I think they are a while away yet, time will tell.

Cheers