A PLAGUE OF ANTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 223, 20 March 1914, Page 2

A PLAGUE OF ANTS.

AN AUCKLAND VISITATION. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Within the last few years black ants have spread rapidly in' the vicinity of Auckland. During the warmest lours of yesterday, myriads of these insects were flying about. Fort street was swarming with them, and they were in plenty on the wharves and in Queen street. Men could be seen clawing down the back of their necks, and women with the fashionable low-cut dresses were badly pestered, for the black ants bit viciously, and some of those who received their attentions found little lumps raised on their skin. 1 An Aucklander, who was out h'shing, found himself in the midst of a swarm [ of ants, his bare neck and legs being | the special objects of their attack. I At the Grammar School, the boj-s had a lively time. A lady walking on the Cemetery bridge, and carrying a young baby, was seen waving her arms about so excitedly that n man hurried along 'to, see what was the matter. He was made fully .aware of tne cause when he go;, amongst the ants. The phenomenon 's of annual occurrence, but more striking yesterday on account of its great extent. The swarming of the ants is connected with iwhat is known as the "marriage flight" of the insects, the males and females leaving their nesls at this time of the year preparatory to settling in new colonies. After the flight the females settle down to domesticity, and pluck off their wings, so that during the greater part of the year the ants can rarely be found able to fly. The particular species which was such a nuisance yesterday appears to be an imported one, which is multiplying very rapidly, and of which great colonies can be found in many houses, whwe the insects are the cause of much trouble because of their fondness for edibles of all kinds, and their persistence in searching for food and swarming upon it when found.