Fire Ant ‘Islands’ Are Floating Around Flooded Areas in Houston
As if the horrific flooding wasn’t bad enough.
Fire ants have a terrifying way to survive flooding: they latch onto each other in a colony, forming a fire ant island.
Houston Chronicle reporter Mike Hixenbaugh pointed this discovery out while reporter on the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
Pro tip: Don't touch the floating fire ant colonies. They will ruin your day. #Harvey pic.twitter.com/uwJd0rA7qB
— Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) August 27, 2017
Fire ants are fairly water resistant on their own, but are unstoppable together. And according to Hixenbaugh, they use the bodies of dead fire ants as a raft to survive.
If you're in Houston and don't think things could get worse, just remember: Fire Ants float pic.twitter.com/43whwDxnUz
— Fox Keegan (@FoxCurtailed) August 27, 2017
We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but...
— Houstonia Magazine (@HoustoniaMag) August 28, 2017
...that photo of a shark on a Houston freeway is not real.
Those floating fire ants are tho.
As if flooding, displaced alligators, and washed up sharks aren't bad enough, now Houston has floating fire ants to worry abt too 😩 https://t.co/cvle6zCxaq
— Amanda Stark (@HTLHellcat) August 28, 2017
In case you're wondering what fire ants are doing during Houston flood. They're creating rafts out of dead bodies. The white specks are eggs pic.twitter.com/GXS4ei4FtM
— Daniel Schneider (@BiologistDan) August 27, 2017
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