Some folks don't realize it, but out in West Texas, there are still lots of critters that make life pretty dayum interesting for those brave folks that have chosen to live way out yonder!  

 Here's an Interesting fact:  The world's largest pecan orchard is just outside Van Horn in Culbertson County, Texas - in the shadows of the Davis Mountains, where these cats are right at home!  

Cougars are more than a nuisance to deer hunters, they diminish the deer population by 30 or more deer PER cat PER year! *WOW!*  The State of Texas has even hired a professional hunter to fight this growing problem.  They use a pretty heavy caliber rifle (.45-70) along with traps when in pursuit of these dangerous cats, and they also carry a custom Kimber .45 sidearm for backup!  Pretty impressive, huh?

The Coyote

The Coyote is more than just wily!  Let's try.. Wile E. Coyote... Super Genius!  NE Way.. The coyote is one of the most prolific pests to survive today's modern society and actually thrive in both rural AND suburban environments! Not too long ago, there were even attacks on children blamed on these critters. That's extremely unusual, but apparently the kids wandered too close to the den of a breeding pair of these very protective animals and were attacked.  There have even been sightings of coyotes in the Los Angeles metro area and Orange County, California!!! (Of all places!)  It is Open Season on Coyotes here in Texas all the darn time! 

The Rattlesnake

C'mon y'all.. Does this fella really need any introduction?

If you hear the rattler's rattling sound, it's best just to stop and carefully get the HELL away!  SUPPOSEDLY These snakes are mostly more afraid of humans than we are of them, but I'm  still not convinced... Far as I'm concerned, this fella would make a GREAT hat band or belt.  Can ya believe, the little ones *tha lil shits* are more deadly than the older fellas?  Young rattlers haven't yet learned to gauge the amount of venom per bite like the older ones do, so they inject the full venom sack in each bite, and it is more concentrated in young snakes..  I'm so glad we have a rattlesnake round up in Texas to help control the population of these varmints!

Red Imported Fire Ant, Subfamily - Mymicinae

Introduced from western Brazil (Argentina or Paraguay), this fire ant species quickly and usually becomes the number one fire ant pest wherever it occurs.  The main reason for this is when it was introduced into the U. S. about 60 years ago its natural enemies were left behind in South America.  Since 1958, over 7,100 compounds have been evaluated for delayed toxicity against just this ant by the USDA Agricultural Research Service.  The Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta - (Buren), is associated with disturbed habitats, mostly created by humans, and is abundant in old fields, pastures, lawns, roadsides and many other open sunny areas.  

It often inhabits fields used for agricultural purposes where its large above-ground mounds create problems in planting and harvesting crops.  John Morrison, Jr., et al, 1997, noted that Red Imported Ants will feed on wheat, corn and sorgham seed and to some extent on dry cotton and soybean seeds under laboratory conditions.  In areas where grass is periodically cut, mounds are flush with the ground and are hard to see.  This fire ant species is rarely found in mature forests and other areas with heavy shade, unless part of the area has been disturbed or opened by fire or storms.  Solenopsis invicta has the most toxic venom of all  U.S. fire ants.

The Red Imported Fire Ant builds mounds that are, on average, 10” - 24" in diameter and 18" high.  But larger fire ant mounds are not uncommon.  They also may extend 6' underground.  They also build soil tubes on foundations of buildings.  The primary function of mounds, beyond that of the simple ground nests of other ants, is microclimate regulation - controlling the temperature and humidity.  The ants can maintain a temperature inside the mound much higher than that outside, allowing them to continue colony growth even during cool weather.  They have a filtering system that admits only liquids into their digestive systems that even removes bacteria (e.g. Bacillus thurmingiensis) - so feed them sugar water with 1% boric acid or .5% Disodium Octoborate Tetrahydrate  for 8 weeks.  Originally it was incorrectly identified as Solenopsis saevissima richteri (Forel).

The fire ant mounds are symmetrical piles of excavated soil, rich in organic materials, laced with interconnected galleries and chambers.  The soil below ground also contains galleries and chambers.  During foraging periods only a small percentage of ants may be inside the mound; the rest are out gathering food.  That is why there are times of the day or night that flooding or drenching mounds are more effective.

A newly established fire ant mound or nest rapidly produces young workers, and winged reproductives are produced for most of the year (8-10 months), much longer than the native species.  Red imported fire ants quickly spread through a suitable habitat, and the species is now found throughout most of the southeastern United States and west into Texas (over 275 million acres in 11 southern states and Puerto Rico).  They can and quickly do latch onto your flesh with barbed mandibles and sting repeatedly, pivoting in tiny circles until you, the victim can repel them or dies.  The venom burns like a hot match and causes tiny blisters that persist for days if left untreated or for weeks if scratched or infected.

Quoting Texas singer/songwriter Brian Burns in his song "Fire Ants"  off of his CD entitled Highways, Heartaches & Honky-tonks he says: "Fire ants, fire ants, it's time for us to take a stance, Texas declares war on you!"  I couldn't agree more.

And now... Introducing another Varmint to Texas... YANKEES!!

(you knew I was gonna go there didn't ya??)