Paging @futurebird https://www.dw.com/en/illegal-insect-trade-5300-ants-and-a-growing-global-problem/a-72543557
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@futurebird !! "Some of the ants in the men's possession were giant African harvester ants (Messor cephalotes) which are valued at anywhere between around $100 to as much as $220 each. Had the ant smugglers been successful, they would have made a lot of money."
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@futurebird !! "Some of the ants in the men's possession were giant African harvester ants (Messor cephalotes) which are valued at anywhere between around $100 to as much as $220 each. Had the ant smugglers been successful, they would have made a lot of money."
I mean it sounds great... but selling ants is a fussy business. You have to ship them carefully and this isn't inexpensive. People who buy ants are annoying and I wouldn't sell ants to me. That's why most people in the hobby do trades and gifts, or "shipping only" type deals.
A queen dies a week after shipping? Whose fault is that? So much fun.
This is NOT a good way to make money. I will have more fun trying to make money asking for "a kind donation" for my fiction book.
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F myrmepropagandist shared this topic
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@futurebird !! "Some of the ants in the men's possession were giant African harvester ants (Messor cephalotes) which are valued at anywhere between around $100 to as much as $220 each. Had the ant smugglers been successful, they would have made a lot of money."
I'm just saying if these young guys thought they were going to get rich ... IDK that's so much work.
Maybe one of the big German ant retailers had and order with them? That would be a HUGE scandal if true.
Also, this is a cool species but hardly one of the ones people go nuts about.
Not when there are ants native to Europe that are very similar.
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I mean it sounds great... but selling ants is a fussy business. You have to ship them carefully and this isn't inexpensive. People who buy ants are annoying and I wouldn't sell ants to me. That's why most people in the hobby do trades and gifts, or "shipping only" type deals.
A queen dies a week after shipping? Whose fault is that? So much fun.
This is NOT a good way to make money. I will have more fun trying to make money asking for "a kind donation" for my fiction book.
@futurebird @uguisubari There should be a way to give an ant pheromonal directions to their new home and just put them outside.
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I mean it sounds great... but selling ants is a fussy business. You have to ship them carefully and this isn't inexpensive. People who buy ants are annoying and I wouldn't sell ants to me. That's why most people in the hobby do trades and gifts, or "shipping only" type deals.
A queen dies a week after shipping? Whose fault is that? So much fun.
This is NOT a good way to make money. I will have more fun trying to make money asking for "a kind donation" for my fiction book.
@futurebird Very interesting. I am thinking, does William Gibson know about this? I can imagine a Dyneema satchel full of ants in tubes.
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@futurebird Very interesting. I am thinking, does William Gibson know about this? I can imagine a Dyneema satchel full of ants in tubes.
My speculation about a "famous German ant Giant" funding ant smugglers is totally baseless and made up. We have so little drama.
In reality I think these lads wanted a few colonies for themselves, were probably sad they didn't find more variety on their short trip but collected all of these queens to trade.
And that's bad! Don't smuggle ants!
It's bad enough that ants try to smuggle themselves. My god.
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My speculation about a "famous German ant Giant" funding ant smugglers is totally baseless and made up. We have so little drama.
In reality I think these lads wanted a few colonies for themselves, were probably sad they didn't find more variety on their short trip but collected all of these queens to trade.
And that's bad! Don't smuggle ants!
It's bad enough that ants try to smuggle themselves. My god.
"International Ant Cartel" this is the most attention the hobby has gotten in years!
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My speculation about a "famous German ant Giant" funding ant smugglers is totally baseless and made up. We have so little drama.
In reality I think these lads wanted a few colonies for themselves, were probably sad they didn't find more variety on their short trip but collected all of these queens to trade.
And that's bad! Don't smuggle ants!
It's bad enough that ants try to smuggle themselves. My god.
@futurebird @uguisubari There's also the whole problem of ants smuggling aphids.
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@futurebird @uguisubari There's also the whole problem of ants smuggling aphids.
Tired: "Invasive Species"
Wired: "Self-Smuggling Creature" -
"International Ant Cartel" this is the most attention the hobby has gotten in years!
@futurebird @uguisubari I loved the headline and subhead they used for this story in @thecontinent !
https://terror.black/@sayyid_qishta/114497365521906472
