Thousands of flying ants invade Taiwanese village

Residents tackle insects with flame thrower and water

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/08/24
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Thousands of flying ants recently invaded a village in Chiayi County for the fifth year running, forcing locals to go as far as using flame throwers to repel the invasion, reports said Saturday (August 24).

The unwanted visitors started arriving in Zhongpu in August 2015, annoying residents by invading their homes as soon as they turned on lights in the evening, the Central News Agency reported.

At the time, residents started using sticky paper and bowls of water to catch the insects, according to Hsu Shao-tang (徐紹唐), the former chairman of a Chiayi County rescue association. In one night, they would catch thousands of ants, he said.

The latest wave arrived Friday (August 23) night, according to Hsu. He tur

ned on just one light inside his home and went out for a two-hour walk. When he came back, he found thousands of ants covering the pillars of the house, and decided to take them on with a flame thrower, CNA reported.    [FULL  STORY]