FLOYDADA – Tuesday’s rain brought moisture and bugs to downtown Floydada as the city received six tenths of an inch of rain followed by a swarm of flying red ants.
According to Texas AgriLife Extension Integrated Pest Management agent Blayne Reed, the ants are a direct result of the rain. Reed says the drought has limited the chance for ant colonies to spread,
so the moisture, combined with loose soil, has given the ants the signal to send out their “royals” in an attempt to spread.
That attempt led to the intersection of California and Second Street to become covered in the flying leaders, despite the lack of soil to create new mounds.
The good news for the region is that the rain is expected to last for the next few days, with National Weather Service predicting a 50 percent chance of storms Wednesday, tapering down to a 20 percent chance through Thursday evening.
Hopefully that won’t mean a 50 percent increase in ants.
