# How do you get ants to fight each other to the death? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2005, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935 "2005-04-12T05:29:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/21 "2005-04-12T22:21:22Z")
> [@Hunter Hawk](#): > > Yeah, and what difference should that make? > > Like I said, I have no objection to killing animals for the right reason (I’m as much an omnivore as the next guy, for example), and I certainly think it’s overdoing it to sweep the ground ahead of you as you walk, but deliberately killing for fun, even if it’s something that minor, strikes me as juvenile at best. So what? Lots of things are juvenile, what’s wrong with it? I’m not saying I’d do what the OP did (no interest), but I have no real moreal objections, and even if I did, I think I’d have trouble getting worked up about it. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/22 "2005-04-12T22:22:30Z")
moreal=moral ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/23 "2005-04-12T22:40:02Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > My tastes ran towards this– > > [http://www.ebaumsworld.com/antcity.html](http://www.ebaumsworld.com/antcity.html) Anybody care for a “hot dog”? 😃 As for the OP, personally I enjoy Praying Mantis v. Black Widow myself…many, many years ago. That fight did not disappoint. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/24 "2005-04-12T22:40:43Z")
> [@Creaky](#): > > How about humming that Captain Kirk Fight Music from when he had to fight Mr. Spock, I think, with nets and those trident thingies? That music worked as a great incentive for me when I was beating up on my sister when we were kids, even if I never did get to fight her to the death. I tried that. It didn’t work. I also trapped a red ant in proximity to a black ant colony anthill and pounded furiously on the ground, with the hopes that the black ants would get seriously pissed off and take it out on the poor schmuck hanging at their doorstep, but I guess being Sunday, it was their day off or something 😕 ---
**Author:** ![D.Rose123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@D.Rose123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D.Rose123)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/25 "2011-05-15T19:06:49Z")
You should try getting multiple red ants ---
**Author:** ![D.Rose123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@D.Rose123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D.Rose123)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/26 "2011-05-15T19:14:50Z")
> [@Incubus](#): > > I tried that. It didn’t work. I also trapped a red ant in proximity to a black ant colony anthill and pounded furiously on the ground, with the hopes that the black ants would get seriously pissed off and take it out on the poor schmuck hanging at their doorstep, but I guess being Sunday, it was their day off or something 😕 It’d work better if you took a black ant to a red ant colony. They tend to get pissed off easier (one time they attacked a rock I dropped in their colony) ---
**Author:** ![D.Rose123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@D.Rose123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D.Rose123)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/27 "2011-05-15T19:19:09Z")
> [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](#): > > … hmmm… Do ants have ears? Timpanic membranes? > > I got nothing. WHAT???😕 ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/28 "2011-05-15T19:29:39Z")
From what I remember of my younger years, a whole shovel full of red ants dumped on top of a black ant colony worked fairly well. You can play referee with a magnifying glass. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/29 "2011-05-15T20:00:57Z")
Remember, the only way to take out a zombie ant is with a tiny headshot. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/30 "2011-05-15T20:57:08Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > You, my friend, need to play [SimAnt](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SimAnt), which was quite a fun game. I have that game. I used to play it all the time. It kinda took the challenge out of it, though, when I figured out two ways to win the game in five minutes. > [@D.Rose123](#): > > WHAT???😕 _Princess Bride_ reference. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/31 "2011-05-15T22:53:23Z")
> [@Duderdude2](#): > > So what? Lots of things are juvenile, what’s wrong with it? > > I’m not saying I’d do what the OP did (no interest), but I have no real moreal objections, and even if I did, I think I’d have trouble getting worked up about it. Taking enjoyment out of killing something or making something die is sick and immoral. Period. It may be only an ant to you but to that ant it is its life. I can’t control things like driving over ants but I will certainly watch where I walk and avoid them if at all possible. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/32 "2011-05-15T23:11:11Z")
I enjoy washing my hands, but the sick and immoral thing is that I use antibacterial soap. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/33 "2011-05-15T23:14:36Z")
Good point. I think I’ll go out and use a flame thrower on stray dogs and cats, because after all, I use antibacterial soap and that was really what Opal was talking about. (note: flame thrower fueled by hyperbolic oil) ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/34 "2011-05-15T23:18:56Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > From what I remember of my younger years, a whole shovel full of red ants dumped on top of a black ant colony worked fairly well. You can play referee with a magnifying glass. I used to do this as a child when I lived in Hawaii where there are a lot of fire ants. I would take this huge glass jar my mom gave me, shovel some fire ants into it (with a shovel, don’t use your hands!) and then find a black ant pile and do the same. They would indeed do battle, and it was mesmerizing to watch. The red ants were much bigger but the black ants would group together in threes and fours to take down a single fire ant. What proved to be more educational was after the initial melee wore down, the ants got busy digging new tunnels, moving their eggs around, etc and they actually picked sides. So after a couple days, there was a clearly delineated “no ants land” in the middle of the jar, and both sets of ants had settled into their routine on either side of the jar, rebuilding their colonies. It was cool. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/35 "2011-05-16T00:30:16Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Taking enjoyment out of killing something or making something die is sick and immoral. Period. It may be only an ant to you but to that ant it is its life. I can’t control things like driving over ants but I will certainly watch where I walk and avoid them if at all possible. > [@sitchensis](#): > > I enjoy washing my hands, but the sick and immoral thing is that I use antibacterial soap. > [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Good point. I think I’ll go out and use a flame thrower on stray dogs and cats, because after all, I use antibacterial soap and that was really what Opal was talking about. > > (note: flame thrower fueled by hyperbolic oil) Now we’re just haggling over the price ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/36 "2011-05-16T03:22:06Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > Well, I’m no expert on ants, but i would imagine that you had yourself a couple of worker ants. Only the fighter ants would fight I guess. Thus proving the bonds of socialist worker solidarity will overcome the propaganda of formic nationalism. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/37 "2011-05-16T07:31:16Z")
I bid 50 quatloos on the newcomer. Seriously though, they’re not interested in killing each other (even insofar as ants can ever be described as ‘interested’ in anything). There is no advantage to the nest of having individuals endanger themselves by engaging in skirmishes with any and every foreigner they encounter. It’s more effective if they just ignore each other and continue foraging. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/38 "2011-05-16T07:55:41Z")
You need ant-agony. _slinks away_ ---
**Author:** ![Containing\_Iron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/57b2e6/32.png) [@Containing\_Iron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Containing_Iron)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/39 "2011-05-16T08:55:27Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > I have that game. I used to play it all the time. It kinda took the challenge out of it, though, when I figured out two ways to win the game in five minutes. I can (could) win an individual level in 5 minutes, but the whole game? spill! please? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935/40 "2011-05-16T09:01:55Z")
Raise the purse bid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-ants-to-fight-each-other-to-the-death/298935.md?page=3)