The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-07-26
THE GUATEMALAN ANTS
Habits Of Boil Weevil's Enemy
Being Studied.
SEVERAL FACTS DETERMINED.

by Foreign yariety-Pinn TO Estab-
Iish Colonies Near victoria, TEX.
There is great demand for the
Guatemalan ants from the cotton plant
ers Of Texas, but the government ento-
mologists are to keep the imported col
onIes carefully during the remainder
Of the season and through the winter
to see what their habits are, says a
dispatch from Houston to the St Louis
Globe Democrat
The ants are in the government lab
oratory at Victoria under the direc
ton Of DR. Hunter, in charge Of that
branch Of the government work in
Texas; EntomoIogist Cook, who brought
the insects from Guatemala, aud Pro
fessor Lowton. curator OF the civic
museum Of Philadelphia. who II at
present engaged in the government
work in Texas.
The ants were brought into Texas in
bottles, the heart Of the nest with the
queen cell having been carefully in
cased and Guatemalan dirt placed in
the jar The colonies have multiplied
greatly since the ants were put in the
bottles, and Entomologist Cook arrived
with about 600O healthy specimens, di-
vided into eighty-nine colonies.
Several facts have already been de.
termined in the experiments which are
being conducted. lit has been found
that the ants viii not seek the weevil,
but that when they run across NOV
ing insect they will at once attack. The
weeyil plays possnm, and 50 long as i
stays perfectly still the ants crawl over
and around 1t without any attempt at
molestation. When Il weevil moves II
IS at once seized and an effort made to
force back its head that the ant may
get its sting on the exposed flesh Of the
neck, the armor Of the weevii protect
ing its body elsewhere. If one ant is
not sufficiently strong for this work Il
il assisted by a fellow there appearing
to be perfect harmony between them
and an understanding as to how to
work together So far no weevil has
been found TO escape when once at
tackled.
There being fear that perhaps the
imported ant would not be able to hold
its own against the native red ants,
which are generally considered as be-
| ing vicious, a number OF them were
procured and placed in a nest Of the
Guatemalans. The result was ascer-
| tanned within d very few seconds, the
Texans being wiped out and put in
storage as food Inasmnch as the
Texas ants are generally regarded as a
nuisance by the farmer the Guate-
malans may prove a relief from them
as well as from the weevils
1t has been further ascertained that
the ants frequent the cotton plants for
the nectar thereof They appear to be
very fond of this secretion and 50 are
the boil weevils. The ants swarm over
the cotton plant and attack the weevil
as quickly as found, seeming to prefer
the insect food to the nectar.
1t Is proposed TO establish colonies
of the ants on the farm near Victoria
controlled by the government for ex-
perimental purposes. The plan is to
inclose space about twelve feet
square and to establish a colony at
each corner thereof The nests now
contained in the bottles will be taken
therefrom and set In the ground, it
being the hope that the ants will at
once resume their normal habits and
| 20 to housekeeping without loss OF
time. Thick stakes and sheets Of tin
| will be sunk into the ground to such
depth as VIII make 1t as certain as
may be that the ants cannot burrow
beneath them. and the tin will be ex-
| tended upward to the stockade Here
they will be fed on Gotten plants with
! IN the inclosure, so that the ants may
be at liberty to attack them without
having the task forced upon them. The
| study of the habits of the insects will
be maintained at all times and an ac-
curate log Kept They will be observed
at night as we'll as by day to determine
| their nocturnal habits.
1t is expected that they will hibernate
during the winter, as do the native va
rleties, but the latter have some bad
habits which will be looked for in the
visitors. Arrangements will be made
to so construct at least one Of the colo
MES that portion Of its interior may
be observed from time to time.
There viii be nothing further done
about the injunction asked by Ross
Clark. Or. Hunter has given his per
sonal pledge that there shall be no
liberation OF the ants until it has been
definitely determined that there Is nc
danger Of their becoming d pest and as
| that was the sole point In Mr.. Ciark's
1 contention lie rests satisfied
A large number Of applications are
already on file from cotton planters
asking for colonies Of the ants and
agreeing to take them on any condition
that may be imposed BY the govern
ment