Ants have become a real issue around the house. In fact, I have an ant crawling behind my ear right now. I left a bunch of dishes in the sink tonight and suddenly we have an anthill in the sink. When I first notice this, I chose not to do anything; the ignorance is bliss route, even though I know I'm just delaying. My roommate freaks out, getting very animated and plastering me with reasons we just gotta killem all now! After a few moments of just staring I turn to him and am like You know, I could kill them all right now, there is nothing to prevent me from doing that. It just doesnt go along with my live and let live attitude. Im problem solving." Thats what a paramedic is any ways right? A professional problem solver? And I sympathize with their little journey and plight; usually facing death in the forms of drowning and burning. That's gotta suck!
So thats what I do, problem solve. My first idea is to turn on the tap with hot water. First at a drip, so they will sense the heat and leave a path for the water and then turn it on high, heating up the sink and driving them out. That plan involved too much finesse; I took out a whole heap of them with my first effort. My second plan was to smoke them out. I heard way back in the day that all forest creatures really hate smoke. I decided this one wouldnt work even before I tried it. It actually was my roommate who provided the technique that finally worked. He said, You need to get rid of the food first. So I lifted up each plate that they were feasting off of and too it out side and either banged the plates into the outside garbage or the fence, shaking the ants off. Then I went back over them and blew off the stragglers. Some hot girl walked by with her dog and totally stared at me for a while. I bet she thought I was mad.
I started to think about how I couldnt be angry at the ants about this. I created this situation. It isnt their fault they found a big pile of grub and told their friends to come join them. I am constantly amazed by the deep peace that this live and let live attitude has given me. I feel like I spend more time relating to others with appreciation of their system and purpose and not just my cultural up-bringing of how it relates to me.
A good example of this is that popped into my mind while I was putting the ants outside was how a friend of mine was talking about a car accident he responded to on the ambulance recently. This girl hit another car head on and took out her face. She was dead, but her body just didnt know it yet. was how he put it. He described her injuries and also described, with more distress, how beautiful she had been when he saw her obituary a few days later. Yet in a way, when he was dealing with her injuries he was dealing with a more profound side of her. An amazing body system whose only desire and effort was to live, not just a face suitable for mating. This live and let live attitude is slowly showing me the beauty of creatures living for their own reasons. Not just our own.
Take home lesson:
In the future, keep the kitchen clean.
So thats what I do, problem solve. My first idea is to turn on the tap with hot water. First at a drip, so they will sense the heat and leave a path for the water and then turn it on high, heating up the sink and driving them out. That plan involved too much finesse; I took out a whole heap of them with my first effort. My second plan was to smoke them out. I heard way back in the day that all forest creatures really hate smoke. I decided this one wouldnt work even before I tried it. It actually was my roommate who provided the technique that finally worked. He said, You need to get rid of the food first. So I lifted up each plate that they were feasting off of and too it out side and either banged the plates into the outside garbage or the fence, shaking the ants off. Then I went back over them and blew off the stragglers. Some hot girl walked by with her dog and totally stared at me for a while. I bet she thought I was mad.
I started to think about how I couldnt be angry at the ants about this. I created this situation. It isnt their fault they found a big pile of grub and told their friends to come join them. I am constantly amazed by the deep peace that this live and let live attitude has given me. I feel like I spend more time relating to others with appreciation of their system and purpose and not just my cultural up-bringing of how it relates to me.
A good example of this is that popped into my mind while I was putting the ants outside was how a friend of mine was talking about a car accident he responded to on the ambulance recently. This girl hit another car head on and took out her face. She was dead, but her body just didnt know it yet. was how he put it. He described her injuries and also described, with more distress, how beautiful she had been when he saw her obituary a few days later. Yet in a way, when he was dealing with her injuries he was dealing with a more profound side of her. An amazing body system whose only desire and effort was to live, not just a face suitable for mating. This live and let live attitude is slowly showing me the beauty of creatures living for their own reasons. Not just our own.
Take home lesson:
In the future, keep the kitchen clean.
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Sorry about the ants... they really will go away if there is no food around for them to feast on. Try living on dry goods this summer? Hmm..
of course, that keep the place clean thing works pretty well too
oh, and re: peaceable kingdom - i saw the premiere here at lincoln center - quite the flick!