\nThere’s a thatch (or thatching) ant hill in the backyard. It developed back in the summer of 2017, a complete surprise. Just plain lawn had been there, then I was gone a few weeks, then an ant hill one foot high and 2 feet in diameter stood there when I returned.<\/p>\n
Thatch ants are beneficial, so I welcomed them. For a few years they ruled the backyard, making trails through the lawn and cleaning the place up.<\/p>\n
\nThe thatch ants go dormant fairly early in autumn: when the weather is messy, you never see them. A couple of autumns ago, I noticed deep intrusions into their hill, but didn’t know what had made them. Crows, maybe? Apparently, the ants weren’t capable of defense against such an attack. Sporadically it would repeat.<\/p>\n
\nOut in the yard yesterday evening, I noticed, sadly, that about half their nest, above ground, has been caved in by that intruder. It was already late enough that only a few of the ants were apparent. The colony seems yet alive, but I’m not sure of its condition.<\/p>\n
It turns out a flicker, which is a woodpecker I’ve posted about a couple of times, is likely what’s attacking the thatch ants. I see flickers in the yard a lot.<\/p>\n
Source:<\/p>\n
trailkeepersoforegon.org<\/a><\/p>\nJack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane,<\/a> Campbell River, BC.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Self-tutoring about nature observations: the tutor mentions a connection. There’s a thatch (or thatching) ant hill in the backyard. It developed back in the summer of 2017, a complete surprise. Just plain lawn had been there, then I was gone …<\/p>\n