55 replies to this topic

[wagtail]

On the weekend I watched Athens, GA - Inside Out for the first time, and Michael Stipe is featured marvelling at Mike Mills' ability to smell ants.  

I thought pretty much everyone could smell ants, so figured I'd do a quick survey of Murmurs folks to see if this ability is actually unusual.

Edited by wagtail, 29 April 2009 - 01:19 AM.

[Sweet Fanny Addams]

No. WTF?

[wagtail]

really?  see, that's just weird....I've always assumed people could smell 'em.

[clicli]

Yes, actually you could smell some type of ants. I certainly know the smell of these small black ants that are particularly attracted to only sugar/sweet things. These ants don't bite.

[wagtail]

so,  I've just been reading about it, apparently ants emit chemical compounds to communicate with each other, and it seems some people are able to smell that, but most cant.  However, most people can smell ants when they squish them.

[isilida 32]

n, of course not. what have you been huffing?! you can't smell ants. they're too tiny. you sniff one and it's libel to go right up your nose.

[Lori]

wagtail said:

However, most people can smell ants when they squish them.

That's about the only time I can smell them.  When I find one crawling up my arm or something, I smell ant on my fingers after flicking it off. Ant juice.

[In the Corner]

I have never ever smelled an ant.  And I love this statement:

"they're too tiny. you sniff one and it's libel to go right up your nose. "

aaaaahahahaha.  hee hee

[Sweet Fanny Addams]

wagtail said:

really?  see, that's just weird....I've always assumed people could smell 'em.

What do they smell like?

[In the Corner]

Sweet Fanny Addams said:

What do they smell like?

Good question. Maybe we have smelled them and just didn't know it.

[stiperules!ok]

isilida 32 said:

n, of course not. what have you been huffing?! you can't smell ants. they're too tiny. you sniff one and it's libel to go right up your nose.

I agree -not a nice thought!

Anyway, what do they smell like? Might have smelt one & thought it was the flowers.

[wagtail]

Sweet Fanny Addams said:

What do they smell like?

they just smell like ants!....I dunno, it's a little like ferris chloride, which is the acid you use to etch copper with...so, for me, it reminds me of days on end in the printmaking studio and you kind of get an acidic taste in your mouth from all the fumes....but it also has a hint of citric acid too...a bit like when oranges go moldy and they have a 'not quite right' smell..... like orange turpentine.

[alchemist]

wagtail said:

they just smell like ants!....I dunno, it's a little like ferris chloride, which is the acid you use to etch copper with...so, for me, it reminds me of days on end in the printmaking studio and you kind of get an acidic taste in your mouth from all the fumes....but it also has a hint of citric acid too...a bit like when oranges go moldy and they have a 'not quite right' smell..... like orange turpentine.

Totally! I never thought about it at all and just assumed everyone could just smell them! They smell quite acrid and very like ferris chloride, well picked. I always thought I just smelt them more often outside and living in the bush.. you learn something every day!

[zeppelino]

wagtail said:

they just smell like ants!....I dunno, it's a little like ferris chloride, which is the acid you use to etch copper with...so, for me, it reminds me of days on end in the printmaking studio and you kind of get an acidic taste in your mouth from all the fumes....but it also has a hint of citric acid too...a bit like when oranges go moldy and they have a 'not quite right' smell..... like orange turpentine.

What is orange turpentine?


Perhaps one can only smell ants if they were one in a former life, just a thought.

[wagtail]

zeppelino said:

What is orange turpentine?


Perhaps one can only smell ants if they were one in a former life, just a thought.

do you believe in reincarnation, Kevin?

on a similar train of thought, I found an inch ant in my bed on the weekend, and before I could get away from it, the little fucker bit me on the neck.....I really wanted to smite him for that, but a friend of mine once gave me a lecture about not killing inch ants, 'cause his father's 'dreaming' is the inch ant 'dreaming'.

I have no idea what it was doing inside...maybe trying to get out of the rain...but I'm sure I'm gonna have ant nightmares because of it.  fucking inch ant.

[stiperules!ok]

My God, what's an Inch Ant? Is it really an inch long, or something? The only ones round here are your common black & red. Reds bite (well actually they spit acid at you) & the blacks don't.

[wagtail]

yes, inch ants are usually about an inch long.  they are vicious little fuckers.

voila.......

[eva83]

wagtail said:

do you believe in reincarnation, Kevin?

on a similar train of thought, I found an inch ant in my bed on the weekend, and before I could get away from it, the little fucker bit me on the neck.....I really wanted to smite him for that, but a friend of mine once gave me a lecture about not killing inch ants, 'cause his father's 'dreaming' is the inch ant 'dreaming'.

I have no idea what it was doing inside...maybe trying to get out of the rain...but I'm sure I'm gonna have ant nightmares because of it.  fucking inch ant.

I heard formic acid is good for rheumatism

[stiperules!ok]

eva83 said:

I heard formic acid is good for rheumatism

Maybe, but I'm sure you could get it on prescription in a less painful mode!

[stiperules!ok]

wagtail said:

yes, inch ants are usually about an inch long.  they are vicious little fuckers.

voila.......

Aaaaaaaaaaggghhhhhhh! I am so glad we don't get those here!

<a href="http://s688.photobucket.com/albums/vv249/stiperulesok/?action=view¤t=ants-blackgardenants.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i688.photobucket.com/albums/vv249/stiperulesok/ants-blackgardenants.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

See? Tiny little things! And these black ants don't bite!