These babies are the reason you always, always check the area before sitting down. Weaver ants don’t officially “sting” you. They just bite you, and then spit formic acid into the bite. It hurts like hell. This photo was taken at Khone Phapheng, the largest waterfalls on the Mekong. A weaver ant dropped out of a tree, and promptly “bit and spit” Kat. My friends at Wikipedia tell me that colonies can have as many as a half a million workers. Picnickers beware! -w
We coaxed our homestay hosts to let us set up our tent in their yard rather than sleep in the room they have set aside for guests. For us, it’s cooler and better mosquito protection. For them, it’s a modern marvel. The family gathered to watch our house unfold and the kids pitched in immediately to help. Even with blow up thermarests, silk sheets and down sleeping bag, they thought we would be much more comfortable inside. Instead, it was a glorious night for stargazing through the tent mesh. And by morning, the down blanket was a delight. -k.
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