Sunday, August 20, 2017

The View from the Walls of Troy



The ants in my apartment do not constitute a menace. They are not fleas or bedbugs or plague bacilli. They are not a great danger to my health or welfare. But they are annoying, especially as they are mostly winged ants starting off to found new colonies. Last year, I tried ant-traps and they were ineffective. I then relied mainly on orange oil as a deterrent, and this was only moderately successful. This year’s weapon was vinegar, which was more feared by the insects. Even so, there were a couple of days at the height of the offensive when numerous male and female winged ants were at the screen door seeking the wide outdoors. But the vinegar bombs I made, and the liquid I sprayed, seemed to help.

Next time, I plan to use the Terro ant-killer that several people have recommended. Its liquid form, the most effective, is not sold in Canada. I have about ten months to find a bottle before 2018’s war commences.

However, this year’s conflict seems to have reached its end. A few days ago, I looked to see what new battle I would have to fight with the intruders along my exterior wall, and I saw none. Observation on the next day and the one after that had similar results, though a few scattered ants were seen. None of their winged comrades were present. Today, again, I have found no ants. Since the assault seems to coincide only with colonisation season, I think that must be over, and an armistice has been concluded.

After weeks of seeing the ants every day, I felt like the Trojans looking out from the top of their city’s walls at the besieging Greeks, for a decade repelling attacks, repairing breaches and rushing reinforcements to where the latest storm was being attempted. Then, one morning, dawn showed all the enemy gone. The fields so lately contested are empty. I have won.

And to demonstrate their respect, my foe has left me a giant wooden ant. How very chivalrous of them.

11 comments:

  1. Let's hope your "giant wooden ant" really is't a Trojan horse. :-D

    BTW, "Secrets of the Dead" on PBS did an interesting episode on just that--whether or not there could be any historical fact to the fiction. There IS a place in western Turkey that probably was Troy, from the archaeological evidence (correlated with the fiction). They were trying to determine whether a Trojan horse would have been feasible, and if so, how it would have been built, etc. Pretty interesting!

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    1. From what I've learned the war between the Greeks and Troy was likely real, but, as you write, it's interesting about the horse's possibilities.

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  2. Well done! I've never had to battle ants but I do have some bug that shows up in my basement occasionally. It seems to prefer to hide in dark spots and doesn't seem to replicate itself very quickly. It doesn't fly either.....those are the bugs that creep me out!

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    1. Geez, your bug sounds quite sinister compared to my annoying but on the whole harmless ants.

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  3. Ugh, ants! I cant stand it when they think they can live in my house.. Hope your armistice lasts!

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    1. Ant lethargy in the chilly months is one of the reasons I like autumn.

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  4. Since I'm entomophobic you have my sympathy. Just beware of Greeks, (err -ants), bearing gifts. :-)

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  5. I find it interesting that Terro isn't sold in Canada in liquid form; is it available as powder? If need be, I can mail to you a bottle, if US Mail allows it. Years ago, Public Broadcasting had a huge series, about Troy, and the main announcer was a handsome British archaeologist. I watched that show with supreme fascination: history, archaeology, ancient myths, etc...plus I had a major CRUSH on that guy! I even purchased the book written to accompany the TV show. AND, having battled ants at our place too, I appreciate your analogy.

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  6. We had invasions of ants very early in the spring this year, about 2 months earlier than usual. Then we had one of the hottest spells on record, so the ants must have known it was coming. We still have a few in the garden and the occasional flying ant but not many at all.

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