How's that for a title? Ha!
When I went out to check on things, my usual routine is to replace the memory card in the trail cam so it will be empty for the next week. I went to replace it and reached down to undo the latch and...
...when I opened it, ants had made a nest IN it! Eggs fell out and dirt and of course then they started swarming and I got them all over my hands. I don't think they were fire ants because not all of them bit me and it didn't leave any spots from the bites.
I had to shake them off the camera after I got it off the fence post and when I opened it, there was dirt all inside the housing, the lenses, the sensors. Sigh.
I salvaged the memory card but we had to throw the camera away. It had a good multiyear run, time for something new. I've been thinking of one of those that has a wireless connection so it can send pictures to us in the house or on a cell phones. I could put a few around the property, that might be fun.
This was something we didn't expect, ha!
Oh, how I hate to find ants in unexpected places.
ReplyDeleteNot positive; but they could be Red-Carpenter ants.
You're very lucky that they weren't fire ants. Whatever kind of ants them where, they sure did like/ enjoyed your trail cam.
Enjoy your day and have a wonderful evening.
Blessings 2 U both.
Only those who have happened upon (or sat on or stepped in) a fire any bed can appreciate the fact that the ones in your game cam were not those!
ReplyDeleteI vote for a new camera that will send pics to your cell phones.
If you have those kind of ants around, you need to make sure any outside electrical boxes are very well closed up, especially around the control boxes for your well. They can get in there, and pretty soon, no water. Nothing like turning on the tap and nothing coming out. We have a bug spray company come around every other month or so and spray for ants and spiders, of which we have a lot. Every time a new guy shows up, I have to take him around and point out the places to make sure get an extra spray or two. For some reason, ants like electricity.
ReplyDeleteIf they are raspberry ants, those will destroy everything electrical. Get rid of them on your property.
ReplyDeleteI have a company that comes and sprays when I call, he sprays inside and out. I cannot even smell what ever he uses and it is safe for pets. He sprays the yard about 15 feet out from the house. My problem is lizards, the seem to get in the house every now and then.
ReplyDeleteUgh. We've never had them in the trail cam, but they love our leaf mulch and wood chip piles. They also used to take over the neatly folded shade cloth in the garden shed. Nuisance!
ReplyDeleteYikes! What an unpleasant surprise!
ReplyDelete