An ant colony is entering our house through a crack under our dining room table that I haven't been able to eradicate yet. This has given us a great incentive to keep the table and the floor under it really clean. We don't always succeed, though, and our mishaps have occasionally taught me some interesting things about ants and their ability to express their preferences.
I learned that ants have preferred foods and that they will completely ignore other foods if they have a more-preferred option available. For each of the following pairs, pick which one you think our ants attacked: (answers below the fold)
Cherries or grapes?
Bananas or bread crumbs?
Water used to heat frozen vegetables or flat, sugared cream soda (from Dublin)?
Grapes > cherries
Bananas > bread
Veggie water > flat cream soda
See, now I thought I had a pattern. I figured that ants were going for the sugarier food each time, but picking veggie water over cream soda ... that surprises me. And it's not because soda water kills ants (it doesn't), unless of course the ants read the same internet myths we do and believe them.... Then I did some reading, and discovered that cherries actually have more sugar than grapes per cup. Wow.
Our ants also seem to avoid meat and prefer fruits and veggies to processed food, though I haven't done enough double-blind controlled testing to be sure. My current reigning hypothesis is that they are foodie ants who followed us from Ithaca, NY, and they'd appreciate it if we ate locally sourced organic vegan produce. Any better ideas? (about the ants, not our eating patterns ;) )
I learned that ants have preferred foods and that they will completely ignore other foods if they have a more-preferred option available. For each of the following pairs, pick which one you think our ants attacked: (answers below the fold)
Cherries or grapes?
Bananas or bread crumbs?
Water used to heat frozen vegetables or flat, sugared cream soda (from Dublin)?
Grapes > cherries
Bananas > bread
Veggie water > flat cream soda
See, now I thought I had a pattern. I figured that ants were going for the sugarier food each time, but picking veggie water over cream soda ... that surprises me. And it's not because soda water kills ants (it doesn't), unless of course the ants read the same internet myths we do and believe them.... Then I did some reading, and discovered that cherries actually have more sugar than grapes per cup. Wow.
Our ants also seem to avoid meat and prefer fruits and veggies to processed food, though I haven't done enough double-blind controlled testing to be sure. My current reigning hypothesis is that they are foodie ants who followed us from Ithaca, NY, and they'd appreciate it if we ate locally sourced organic vegan produce. Any better ideas? (about the ants, not our eating patterns ;) )
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