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Ants!
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You know what I’m talking about. Ants. Most of the time, we go about our business, they go about theirs, and everything’s fine. In a cold, wet winter, though, they like to be indoors as much as we do. And our houses suit them just fine, thank you very much. That’s when we spring into action with ant sprays, baits, and traps. The ants that come to call aren’t just any ants--and they’re not native Californians, either. These are Argentine ants (Linepithema humile)--light to dark brown, smooth-bodied, without a sting. They arrived in this country in the 1890s, in shipments of coffee or sugar that were offloaded in New Orleans. From there they spread across the southern states, most likely by train, arriving in Baja California around 1907. Ever since, they’ve been on the move, conquering territory as far north as Chico and eastward into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada--with sporadic forays into our homes as they go. The climate of coastal California is pretty near perfect for the Argentine ant, which thrives in regions with moderate temperatures and moderate moisture levels. It is now found in 21 U.S. states and on six continents. It does especially well in areas characterized by a Mediterranean climate of dry summers and wet winters, such as South Africa, southern Australia, Spain, and Portugal. Drier parts of Hawaii, too, such as Maui’s Haleakala Crater. It also does very well in human-modified environments, where moisture and temperature balances are somewhat regulated. Although its natural habitat is the ground, where it establishes nests just beneath the soil surface, it also happily inhabits cracks in concrete walls, spaces between boards and timbers, and even personal belongings tucked safely away inside our houses. This ant is a bold survivor. |
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