Need help or won't be able to sleep

[mikeyredk]

I know these are crappy photos but is this thing a Fire ant?

Edit took another picture; more useless photos took this group with a glass as a magnifier

 

[tech4all]

Not sure but I found this site via Google: http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fireants/

Sounds kinda scary. Do you live in Australia?

 

[mikeyredk]

No delaware

 

[tech4all]

Is there a lot of them? I guess you could *carefully* some how get rid of them.

 

[Capt Underpants]

Those don't look like the fire ants we have down here. Our fire ants are red and black.

 

[mad jew]

mikeyredk, we can't really tell from the pictures so maybe you could give us a little more context like where they were, what they were near, how many there were etc.

 

[Capt Underpants]

mikeyredk, we can't really tell from the pictures so maybe you could give us a little more context like where they were, what they were near, how many there were etc.

Are your fire ants light brown in Australia? It seems like we should be able to tell if they are fire ants from his pictures, however bad they are. My vote is no, they arent fire ants.

 

[mikeyredk]

I had attempted to take more pictures but it turned futile.

Just had ploped into bed about 5 mins ago when i turned and saw this figure in the side of my eye (I wear glasses), got up looked for my glasses returned it was gone then i saw it again. it was golden red with a darker back, no wings. I live on the first floor apartment right outside is a rose tree with a "nice" lawn area.

P.S. maybe they are after my iMac.

 

[mikeyredk]

convincing myself its a spider, but what type

 

[Capt Underpants]

Did you say golden red with a darker back? Like this? <--- thats a fire ant

edit: i see you added 2 new pictures... well that looks like a spider now! im so confused!

 

[mikeyredk]

maybe, I will get my apartment managers to look at it while i am at work

One last picture, what ever it is this thing is decomposing fast!

 

[GFLPraxis]

I'm getting the impression that its the ant shown in the linked to pictures of Fire Ants, but I can't tell for certain.

 

[Lacero]

I'm more worried of your photographic skills than of that ant.

Statistically though, it should be fairly harmless.

 

[mikeyredk]

hey a camera phone with indoor lighting. Check the attached using the camera phone outdoors. Well i am attempting to go to sleep, knowing it could be a spider, a roach, fire ant or some other ant. BTW i am sleeping on the couch in the living room 10 feet away

 

[Xephian]

I wouldn't be able to sleep with those things running around.

 

[Lacero]

I wouldn't be able to sleep with those things running around.

You obviously never looked at bed bugs crawling all over your bed sheets and pillows under a microscope. You'll never fall asleep!

 

[mad jew]

Are your fire ants light brown in Australia?

I'm a little too far south for fire ants but as tech4all's link shows, our fire ants look a little like this:

 

[iMeowbot]

Fascinating. Somebody's job involves sorting ants by size and arranging them in little circles. I would hire somebody with that on their CV, just because.

 

[mad jew]

Fascinating. Somebody's job involves sorting ants by size and arranging them in little circles. I would hire somebody with that on their CV, just because.

Wait, it's a community effort:

If you need to take a sample, kill some of the larger ants (the workers) away from the nest by spraying them with a household knockdown insect spray. Use a disposable plastic spoon or something similar to scoop the dead ants into a sturdy plastic container and seal. Do not add any liquid.

Place the container in a tough envelope suitable for posting, and include your name, address, telephone number and details (eg. a Mudmap) of where the ants were found with the sample.

DO NOT SEND LIVE ANTS.

Post the envelope to the:

Fire Ant Control Centre
PO Box 1241
Oxley Qld 4075

 

[ham_man]

Wait, you are scared of a fire ant? I have gotten 10+ bites from those bad boys. There is nothing to be worried about. Just stomp the damn thing, or if there is more than one, spray it with ant killer. Then go to sleep...

 

[Capt Underpants]

Wait, you are scared of a fire ant? I have gotten 10+ bites from those bad boys. There is nothing to be worried about. Just stomp the damn thing, or if there is more than one, spray it with ant killer. Then go to sleep...

I guess for the people that haven't grown up with mounds of them in their front yard, they can be kind of scary! I don't mind them being outside, but them being on the inside of my house gets to me sometimes...

 

[scem0]

Fire ants, scary? No way... Growing up in Texas, you see 'em everywhere. And this is coming from the boy who screams and runs away at the first sight of a roach or a spider .

scem0

 

[iMeowbot]

Wait, it's a community effort:
[...]

Do not add any liquid.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind the next time I bring a tub of dead ants to the post office!

 

[mikeyredk]

6 hours, guess its more than the 30 mins of sleep i had that one day driving to jersey back to allentown then down to delaware in one night

 

[mad jew]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind the next time I bring a tub of dead ants to the post office!

Australian Post Offices are pretty strict dry zones.