The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1909-10-15
TEXAS HUNTS ANTS
Federal Scientist Searching for
Species from Argentine
Pests Are Pronounced Vicious and
Are Proof Against Means Gener.
ally Used to Destroy Insects
Multiply Very Rapidly.

Multiply Very Rapidly.
Galveston. Tex.-Dr. Delos Van
Dine of the bureau Of entomology.
United States department of agricul.
ture, is in Galveston on an ant-hunt.
ing expedition. DR.. Van Dine is asso.
ciated with the southern field crop in.
sect investigation. under the direction
Of w. D. Hunter. in charge of the
laboratory at Dallas. and is in charge
of the department of insects affecting
sugar cane and rice.
DR.. Van Dine is searching for a
special kind of ant. said to be very de.
.structive, and which has been import.
ed into the country from Argentina,
and hoping and praying he might not
find it 1t is known that these ants
have got a foothold in Louisiana and
other states, ever as far west as Cali.
fornia. and the government is anxious
to eradicate them as quickly as pos.
sible.
1t is believed these ants, which in
general appearance differ very little,
If any, from other ants found in this
country. got into this country through
fruit and other shipments imported
from Argentina.
DR. Van Dine has just completed a
tour Of the sugar-cane and rice-grow.
ing sections of Texas and is on his
way to the Louisiana fields. Incl.
dentally he is searching for this new
ant h1Jf IN for hoe MT 1;coo1,oroI NM
in Texas. even though they are in
large numbers in the sugar-cane sec.
ton of Louisiana and in New Orleans
are doing considerable damage.
The department requests samples
of all kinds Of ants found in Galveston
sent to the government chronological
bureau at Dallas. Just kill a few ants
and mail them in a small box to this
address, and the experts will examine
them and find out If any Of the Argen.
tine specimens are among them. They
may be found, II here. in the restau.
rants. hotels and homes.
This ant drives out all other ants.
some Of which are beneficial insects.
1t also forms alliances with the mealy
bug and plant lice and protects these
most destructive insects, which de-
stroy sugar n rice and other crops.
These Argentine ants are vicious
things, which destroy the good in
sects and protect and encourage the
others. These insects multiply rapid
ly and are wonders In the ant family.
1t is said that insect powder, germi'
cides and other insect d~estroyers have
no terror for these Argentine ants,
and that they can bridge many OBJ
stacles heretofore said to be impreg.
nable against ant invasions. For in
stance, the water vessels in which the
legs of tables are set do not deter
these ants. When an army of Argen.
tine ants invades a home and finds
the cupboards and tables surrounded
by vessels containing water the com.
mander of the ant army simply de.
crees that a sufficient number of in
sects be killed to form a bridge, over
which the living army crosses the
water and invades the tables or side,
boards.
Now hat the ant has invaded this
country and promises to continue pill.
Laying and destroying crops. Uncle
Sam is anxious to find some way OF
wiping out the entire family. With
this end in view, n Of the greatest
experts In this country on ants ia
now experimenting under the direc.
ton of William Newell, in charge OF
the crop pest commission in Louis,
lana. 1t is said the known poisons
that destroy or drive away the or.
binary ant have no effect upon these
tough-skinned revolutionists from the
South American republic, and some.
thing more effective will have to be
invented to wipe them out.