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Life, actually…
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OF MICE AND Y’ALL
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Another tiny Down South ant is invading the kitchen these days.
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The routine is fairly predictable. Each ant invasion over the years seems to begin with a few lone scouts. Then, let the onslaught begin!
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Every grouping of ants is a mite different from each previous grouping. This particular ant is medium-sized, a nervous flutter accompanying all movements.
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Previous mini-invasions of our old home have included squirrel hordes, various beatles (Don’t call them roaches. Nobody likes to talk about roaches!), an occasional tiny mouse and, once, an itinerant rat.
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I won’t even begin to talk about normal neighborhood critters such as pigeons, doves, mosquitoes, snakes, lizards, raccoons and gypsies. We don’t think about these much, since they maintain their lives outside the house.
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They have their countries, we have ours. Treaties all unsigned.
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But the ants are kind of fun to watch.
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Before I succumb to inevitable family requests to chase the ants away, I covertly peer at them. This peering is easy, since the shiny kitchen counter is white with lots of crevices and cracks and caulked hideaways.
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I appreciate the notion that ants don’t know we exist. They simply ply their activities of daily living, just as we have the unfounded belief that humans are superior to all other beings.
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Mice, on the other hand, are more disruptive to our placid routine behaviors. They are cute, chubby and picky—not all bait is considered gourmet. Most bait is ignored. There must be a mouse memo that stipulates what human food to pass on.
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Anyhow, back to the ants. All ant visitors are tolerated for a time, until they go away. Nomadic they are. We don’t know why they leave us. Maybe they are bored. Perhaps they are tired of Ritz Crackers crumbs and lettuce shards. Maybe they find better food elsewhere. Or it could be that they are offended by the ant-chaser fluid I set out for them.
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What I like about ants is their variety. Each swarm looks different, acts differently, clusters differently. I also like the fact that, while they outnumber us they never seem to want to bully or dominate us.
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Or conquer us.
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I wonder what life would be like if other species behaved in such a manner
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© Jim Reed 2023 A.D.