The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-07-20
ANTS!
A few Words on the Habits of these Indus
trious Little Pests.


trious Little Pests.
The subject at the head of this article
Is one of no little importance to the inbabi-
tants of Penfeld, inasmuch as these in.
numberable "little folk" have become an
insufferable nuisance. Albeit the Scrip
lures name them twice, as being worthy
patterns of industry and economy, In
these words; "Go to the ant, thou slug
gard; consider her ways and be wise.
The ants are people, not strong, yet they
prepare their meat in the summer
Prov. 90; 1925. True, if humanity
were as industrious and economizing as
are there little tribes of creation, there
would be fewer dressed in rags or sup
ported by charity, such as burden the bet
ter class of every land.
have had the opportunity of observ-
ing the characteristics of ten or twelve
species of ants on different parts of our
continent, and never without an interest
In learning what they could do and how
they did it. In Arizona there is species
larger than our largest here, that will cut
a zigzag thoroughfare down to water, out
on the drearv desert, to the depth of one
or two hundred feet The outside wOrkmen
are hardly seen to walk, they always run es
if in the greatest haste. Other large ones
make theiI cities of conspicuous size, of
earth and vegetable growth, showing mar
velous strength and no little dexteriiy
in pileing up one story alter another. l
have seen one take hold and aid another
when in difficult place and then pass on,
If invited to do this depOnent saith not,
only that they were industrious and
worked on thes &C. operative principle In
order to complete every undertaking.
But | find myself loo far from home.
Penfield ants, which are giving our peo.
pie the greatest trouble, are of three
sizes and Of three shades of color; the
large black, the medium and the tiny
fellows. The first are depizens Of rotten
wood. They certainly have way OF
communicating knowledge one TO
the other. For instance, we have six.
legged table standing out frcm the walls
OF the dining-room, with table cloth
hanging over the edge clear round. Ger.
tain articles we're left on the table over
night, with gsuze spread over all. A
prospector out on night hunt, ascended
the leg Of the table, then walked with
his back downward out to the edge OF
the table top, then down the side OF the
overhanging table cloth, passing through
the fringe he ascends to an open dish OF
maple syrup. The next night an army
held midnight feast, which proved their
first and last banquet Of that kind.
The smaller sizes are not 80 easily er.
terminated. They are innumerable. II
they select spot where they wish "a
build up home, near your own, you will
be very likely to know 1t soon after
These ant hills are now innumerable, ever
in Penaeld. If all parts Of Lorain county
are thus infested, 1t is high time to call q
counsel Of war, yea, and to commence
hostilities OF once. When we have de
stroyed few score OF millions, still there
will be enough to repopulate the country
even II we do rs we'll as did the Penfielt
people two years ago on the "rat question,
when they slaughtered a half a ton Of them
II not before, let all Of the spades be IL
readiness against the latter days of Indiar
summer, then open up every ant hill to b,
found, and before they can re-collect anC
re- build winter will seal their doom
Then next season this pest in every HON,
will have been somewhat abated.
GA. RkEDER.
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