FIRE + ALUMINIMUM =

[LovelyLadyLux]

Had this shared to me and thought it quite fascinating where molten aluminum is poured into a Fire Ants nest which results in a beautiful casting.

The only part of this video I do NOT believe is how anybody go that close to a Fire Ant nest and didn't end up being eaten alive. Fire ants are awful and their bite is exactly like Fire

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[Horus]

Well that's one way of getting rid of them I suppose It never ceases to amaze me how artistic and creative some people can be.
I have seen a program where they poured liquid cement into an African Ant nest and got a similar effect and it was HUGE!!!!!

Here I have found the video

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[LovelyLadyLux]

WOW! The size of that ant hill is phenomenal!

[Mad Dilys]

I love it! They did it with a disused Rabbit warren on TV as well, then used that to make moulds to re-construct the original, but with hidden cameras and observation windows to get real information about how a large warren operates. It was fascinating.

[Mad Dilys]

I must say this reminds me of when we had really heavy and prolonged snow about 30 or 40 years ago and our field were covered for weeks.

The melt went quickly at first, then very slowly....... For just a day, when the snow was almost gone, our biggest field was covered with ice tunnels where the Voles had happily got on with their life, completely protected. I wish I'd taken a picture of it.

Voles are on the protected list, but on our land we had huge numbers. I remember that a sack left on the ground, or even a dustbin lid on one occasion just for a couple of days, and there would be a vole nest under it.

And yes, they were Voles not mice! The cat brought in the first Bank Vole too, but later I watched one swimming, then after squeezing the water from his coat while I watched from the opposite bank. A passing swan bent his neck down to peer at the little chap, who leapt at him and told him off in high pitched squeaks. The swan ruffled his feathers and pretended not to care as he made a swift exit.

[Horus]

Great about the little vole, we used to see them on occasion, hated it when the cat got one

[LovelyLadyLux]

I have no idea if I have ever seen a vole or not and Google'd them.

This is what a vole looks like?

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=vol ... ORM=IARRTH

I guess in my mind I've always pictured them incorrectly. What is the little animal that has a real squishy nose that looks almost like a wet mushy human hand on the end of its face then? The nose spreads out in all directions and looks like it was a round balloon that good popped?

I always thought those were voles.

And - why are voles endangered if seemingly they were that prolific?

[Horus]

Yup, that's a Vole in the pictures and the animal you are trying to think of is a MOLE

[LovelyLadyLux]

Well the VOLES look kinda cute in a mousey rattish sort of way. MOLES are just pig ugly IMO! We have MOLES here up the whazzoo. LOTS of theories too on how to obliterate them as they really make a mess of lawns pushing up piles of dirt all over.

[Mad Dilys]

Voles are the food of choice for a large number of predators in the UK they are apparently delicious to birds of prey, as well as four legged predators from weasels to foxes. I don't think a badgers would turn up his/her nose at one either.

They are therefore naturally prolific in natural surroundings. I was an organic grower, surrounded by agribusiness. A little oasis where wild-life flourished, surrounded by mostly sterile fields and orchards that were sprayed with noxious chemicals every ten days for most of the year.

Then, oh joy! A committed member of the Royal Society for the Protections of Birds bought the neighbouring land - bringing their holding to over 2,000 acres. The old orchards where the previous owner used to put cage traps for Bullfinches ( and I emptied them)' were cut and sold as firewood. Nurse crops were planted and ploughed in to improve the soil, then when arable planting started native plants were mixed with the seed corn to give cover to baby Partridges, Pheasants, Lapwings and other ground nesters. All good, but best of all the voles had cover and food and there was an increase in kestrels, sparrow hawks and owls. Brilliant!

[Horus]

I love a story like that one MD

[LovelyLadyLux]

Interesting vole story MD with a very nice ending too

[Mad Dilys]

I have been so lucky in my life, and fortunately I remember an astonishing amount in great detail.

[Horus]

In the words of Simon & Garfunkel "Preserve your memories, there all that's left you"

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[LovelyLadyLux]

I don't know how liquid you can actually get cement and on the ant hill sculpture I wonder how they managed to pump liquid cement to the farthest reaches of the nest without it falling apart? OR do you think the pathways were built to take that kind of pressure?

[Horus]

If you ever get to see an African ant or Termite hill you would not ask, they are like concrete. They secrete something to mix with the sandy soil and it sets rock hard and I mean hard, you would blunt a dozer blade trying to remove one. The Ant hills are not quite as tough but I have seen roads go around a termite mound rather than cutting through it.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Ohhhhhh didn't realize they were THAT hard. I know from cutting through ant hills that they're not super strong so was equating the two.

It is all just interesting. Wonder what termites are secreting? Am betting lots of Companies are studying them to find out

On a slight different note but still related to bug structures - About 2 weekends ago I was strolling through a local Feed Mill Store. They also sell anything related to gardens and I was looking for 'finds.'

I did see LOTS of beekeeper stuff as it seems to be a growing interest here and I'm tempted to put out a hive. My only hesitation is I am allergic somewhat to stings so would have to buy all the gear and I don't know if it is worth it for 1 hive - but keeping bees is an interest.

Secondarily when I was in that section they are now selling FAKE yet very real looking hornet nests. I read them as we DO get hornets and wasps building nest and the theory is that IF you post a fake nest this will deter other REAL wasps from building in the vicinity.

I'm a bit skeptical as I've had wasps move in on other wasps as neighbors with no hesitation. Any thought on this one?

As another aside - I do find insect structures really interesting. Bee hives are fascinating, wasps nests are interesting and these fire ant hills and termite mounds real interest keeping too.