Ants By Kay Lay Reading about nature is one way of educating ourselves about the world around us but experiencing nature is what really bonds us with it. Although South Padre Island is a haven for birds and butterflies during migration periods, there are many other wildlife species to observe.  Just taking a walk around yards and garden areas can be amazingly fascinating for those who take the time.  One critter you can always be sure to find is the mighty ant. There are thirty-five thousand kinds of ants in the world, with sixty species in North America.   Ants may not be the most beloved insects but they are never the less, quite remarkable.  Many of their social habits are comparable to humans.   Ants that live underground, attempt to regulate a temperature of 77 degrees in nesting areas, where offspring are constantly being attended to, or nursed, by adults. Some ants actually sleep seven hours a day. “Homeland security” is provided by soldier ants.  Worker ants are hunters and gatherers that forage for food and perform engineering tasks such as excavation of tunnels.  There are housekeepers for tidying up and teachers that instruct young ants new tricks of the trade. Some may even change jobs as they learn new skills. Some ants actually care for and "farm" other insects!  Aphids, are one example.  These insects consume more sugar from plants than they can use, so they excrete a substance known as “honeydew”.  Ants collect this to feed their colony.  They will even defend aphids from predators by attacking them in large groups.  Keeping close tabs on some aphids, ants move them from one plant to another, harvesting their eggs by carrying them into their colony for the winter. They may be small but ants are survivor specialists.  In fact, it is estimated that the combined weight of all the species of ants worldwide equals the weight of the total population of humans.  Maybe Americans should consider following the lead of some other countries by consuming ants.  Perhaps we could tip the scales a bit in our favor. Learn more about the natural history of South Padre Island by visiting Beachcomber's Museum of Local and Natural History at 104 West Pompano Street South Padre Island. Daily presentations by Steve Hathcock and Kay Lay from 2-3 PM. Closed Mondays. (956)-761-5231 email Kay Lay at seabeaner@islandtraders.biz