Flesh-Eating Fire Ants | National Geographic

red fire ants like these in the American

red fire ants like these in the American South have gotten a bad rap in our world

South have gotten a bad rap in our world

South have gotten a bad rap in our world most people know them as those pesky

most people know them as those pesky

most people know them as those pesky critters with a sting that burns like

critters with a sting that burns like

critters with a sting that burns like crazy but fire ants embody some of our

crazy but fire ants embody some of our

crazy but fire ants embody some of our society’s most cherished ideals first of

society’s most cherished ideals first of

society’s most cherished ideals first of all they are incredibly strong able to

all they are incredibly strong able to

all they are incredibly strong able to carry 10 times their body weight can you

carry 10 times their body weight can you

carry 10 times their body weight can you imagine your average adult male lifting

imagine your average adult male lifting

imagine your average adult male lifting a one-ton truck huh and let’s talk

a one-ton truck huh and let’s talk

a one-ton truck huh and let’s talk teamwork you wouldn’t think a fire ant

teamwork you wouldn’t think a fire ant

teamwork you wouldn’t think a fire ant could bring down this giant dragonfly

could bring down this giant dragonfly

could bring down this giant dragonfly and it couldn’t but a whole bunch of

and it couldn’t but a whole bunch of

and it couldn’t but a whole bunch of fire ants can in fact when it’s on the

fire ants can in fact when it’s on the

fire ants can in fact when it’s on the ground the dragonfly looks like it’s

ground the dragonfly looks like it’s

ground the dragonfly looks like it’s drowning and fire ants teamwork also

drowning and fire ants teamwork also

drowning and fire ants teamwork also helps fire ants reproduce these worker

helps fire ants reproduce these worker

helps fire ants reproduce these worker ants act as well ground crew urging this

ants act as well ground crew urging this

ants act as well ground crew urging this virgin would be Queens skyward so she

virgin would be Queens skyward so she

virgin would be Queens skyward so she can mate some 200 feet in the air after

can mate some 200 feet in the air after

can mate some 200 feet in the air after mating the Queen will produce up to 200

mating the Queen will produce up to 200

mating the Queen will produce up to 200 eggs an hour three million daughters

eggs an hour three million daughters

eggs an hour three million daughters over the course of her life

over the course of her life

over the course of her life I say daughters because all the worker

I say daughters because all the worker

I say daughters because all the worker ants are females the Queen only produces

ants are females the Queen only produces

ants are females the Queen only produces males in the spring and only for the

males in the spring and only for the

males in the spring and only for the purpose of mating what a life on guys

purpose of mating what a life on guys

purpose of mating what a life on guys yeah let’s get back to teamwork these

yeah let’s get back to teamwork these

yeah let’s get back to teamwork these strong motivated well organized insects

strong motivated well organized insects

strong motivated well organized insects have an amazing ability to work together

have an amazing ability to work together

have an amazing ability to work together for a common goal in this case the

for a common goal in this case the

for a common goal in this case the overnight consumption of a frog carcass

overnight consumption of a frog carcass

overnight consumption of a frog carcass I asked everyone who works in an office

I asked everyone who works in an office

I asked everyone who works in an office come on could your company organize and

come on could your company organize and

come on could your company organize and execute something this complex on the

execute something this complex on the

execute something this complex on the spur of the moment fire ants if you want

spur of the moment fire ants if you want

spur of the moment fire ants if you want a strong productive role model that’s

a strong productive role model that’s

a strong productive role model that’s into teamwork look no further