My collage this week was inspired by this fellow:
I captured the ant on a paper towel. The animal was moving slowly because it had crossed over an area that had been treated by toxic chemicals. Shortly after I took this picture I gifted the ant a quick death. The alternative was an extended period of disorientation and what appeared to be agony.
I wasn't happy about killing the ant, but it really came down to the ants or me.
Not long after I moved into my new home I discovered ants had infested one of my rooms. I tried everything to dissuade them from visiting me.
First there was baking soda.
One would have thought it had snowed in my house, there was so much baking soda sprinkled around the room. The ants walked right through it.
Then there was vinegar, and cinnamon.
I scrubbed all surfaces with dish soap, which they are said to loathe, and bleach.
The ants had obviously been long established in the house and came at me with kamikaze determination despite my benign approach. They were taking over the room, and I feared they would infest the whole house.
I resorted to ant traps, ordered from Amazon. After these failed to deter my uninvited guests, I called in a professional. Hundreds of dollars later, the ants finally stopped coming. Although, they didn't stop right away. The last stragglers that came seemed to be struggling before they expired. It was rather sad. Made me wonder how much ants suffer (science blog to follow).
I wasn't so sad, however, that I couldn't exploit the situation and take a picture of my slow-moving ant--the ant that appears in my collage.
Template Photo by @shaka for LMAC #206
Artists in the LMAC community interpreted this photo in many ways. However, after reading about my ant saga, readers will not be surprised to learn I thought of ant hills when I saw the picture. Hence, my collage featuring a lighthouse menaced by swarming, giant ants.
After some investigation and comparison with images I found on the Internet, I concluded that my ants are a common variety, Monomorium minimum, otherwise known as little black ants. I could be wrong and would welcome correction from one of the more informed Hive bloggers, such as @abneagro or @jaki01.
My collage:
I thought of the wonderful buildings @redheadpei has posted in the LIL Gallery. I knew one of them would do for my plan. I wanted a building, surrounded by the mounds of earth in the template. When I saw the lighthouse, I thought it was perfect. Plus, it's beautiful.
Once I decided on the lighthouse, I needed a sea scene, and @muelli obliged, once again in the LIL Gallery. The birds--thank you @yaziris for the pigeon, and thank you @redheadpei for the seagull--are added not only for visual effect. Both pigeons and seagulls feast on ants. As a matter of fact, one source claims that seagulls love to eat ants because the acid ants produce gives the gulls a kind of high.
All elements used today are from the LIL Gallery, plus of course @shaka's template.
Elements used in my collage:
Lighthouse
@redheadpei
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/6308Bird
@redheadpei
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/7700Beach, Rocks and Sand
@muelli
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/6139Beware of Dog Sign
@agmoore
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/10102Pigeon
@yaziris
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/7642Ant
@agmoore
personal photo
LIL is not only a valuable image resource for the Hive community, but is also a way for community members to participate in LMAC. Anyone on Hive can contribute to the library and everyone can borrow from it. Learn about the procedure here.
Every week we offer prizes to fifteen finalists in the contest, but it's not only the prizes people create for. I, for example, don't compete but spend hours giving vent to my imagination. Others in the community have developed the habit of 'speaking' through collage.
This week's contest has concluded. But a new contest will begin on Thursday, with a brand new template. Please join in the fun.
As @shaka has said many times, everyone is an artist. I may not be an artist in the technical sense, but LMAC allows me to nurture my own unique artistic voice.
Thank you for reading. Peace and health to all.