Ant colony surviving Hurricane Wilma
Just thought you might be interested in seeing how a colony of ants survived Hurricane Wilma in Sebring, Florida. I think they are fire ants, but not positive.
Mike D.
Sebring, Florida

Hi Mike,
Ants sure have a strong survival instinct. During the 1983 El Ni

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Dear Mr Bugman,
Thanks for helping me identify a few Bugs. I am quite impressed with your collection of photographs. You have helped me acquire quite a bit of knowledge, Thank you! Hopefully you may be able to use these Ant Photo’s I’ve included. Maybe they will help someone else along the way. These ants were almost a half inch long, in southwestern Colorado, close to Ridgway. Elevation about 8200 ft. Late August. Carpenter Ants? I’m also glad that I’m not alone in the bug lovin’ world. Afterall they don’t eat much. Some think I’m nuts, as I’ve reared a few spiders . Orb Weavers and Widows. Rather fascinating and contrasting web construction. Both very strong silk. I would love to help you add to your collection of photos. If your so inclined. Thanks again!
All the Best with Kindest regards,
Brad Stolte
Spring Valley, Ca

Hi Brad,
Thanks for the nice letter. We are proud of our photo collection, but have to give all the credit to our readership. Now, regarding your ant identification. First the discaimer: We find it very difficult to possitively identify ants. That said, we believe we found a match by turning to BugGuide. This could be the genus Camponotus. We will post and drop Eric Eaton a line to get a confirmation.

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Peppermint discourages ants
Dear What’s That Bug,
I just discovered your website and love it. My husband and I will soon be spending much of our time in Costa Rica, and I anticipate having lots of questions to ask about the insects we will be encountering there. I am writing to let your readers know that we have succeeded in ending our daily morning encounter with ants on our kitchen counter and under the sink – with essential oil of peppermint. A couple of drops on the counter, spread with a damp sponge on their favorite areas (including under the sink) has kept them away.
Best regards,
Karen Lane
Petaluma, CA

Hi Karen,
Thanks for the great tip!!!

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Nocturnal Ants
In my kitchen, at night, large ant looking bugs scurry about when the light is turned on. They are not too shy and do not act like nornal ants. They seem independent of each other and more intellegent than regular ants. Please can you help me identify this bug and how do I rid my home of them? Thank you,
Dana

Hi Dana,
Carpenter Ants of the genus Camponotus are the largest ants in our part of the world. The largest species, C. herculeanus pennsylvanicus is a large black ant. There are several smaller species that are red and black like your photo, including C. vicinus, C. semites taceus, and C. clarithorax. They build their nests in wood, often inhabiting preexisting termite galleries, and often burrow into rotten wood.

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