Immigration . . .

AMERICAN CONSERVATIVES GET ALL UPSET over illegal immigration by Mexicans, but remain blissfully oblivious to other, less visible arrivals. According to io9's Charlie Jane Anders' article, "Southern United States Invaded by "Hairy, Crazy Ants" that Attack Electrical Systems", these new critters are a real delight.

They can't be stopped with conventional pesticide. They can disable a huge industrial plant, and they short out electrical equipment. They eat animals as well as plants. Kill 100,000, and a million more ants will follow.

They're the "hairy, crazy ants," and they're overrunning Texas, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana.

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An Associated Press story quotes exterminator Tom Rasberry as saying that a computer system for controlling pipeline valves in a chemical plant shorted out twice due to the ants, but now he uses "overkill" with pesticides to keep them under control. Says Rasberry:

I did a test site with a product early on and applied the product to a half-acre ... In 30 days I had two inches of dead ants covering the entire half-acre. It looked like the top of the dead ants was just total movement from all the live ants on top of the dead ants.

While I hate shoveling snow, there's a lot to be said for a nice hard killing frost.