Ants and Aphids

There’s a short wall behind my apartment complex where Mr. Davis likes to perch, and there’s often a line of ants coming and going up and over it that I like to watch.  Today, as I watched the ant line disappear under some ivy, something caught my eye.  It was several ants tending diligently to a flock of aphids!

Now, I’d known before about the relationship between ants and aphids, and seen it before on nature shows, but somehow stumbling upon it in my back yard made the phenomenon 100% more awesome.  I watched with wonder as the ants harvested honeydew from their aphid herd in wee little droplets.  Nearby, a large group of baby aphids was clustered on an ivy stem under the shelter of a leaf.  At the base of the stem, two ants were just hanging out, which was weird to see as one tends to encounter ants on the go.  Guard duty, I suppose.

Meanwhile, during my observation, Mr. Davis had hopped down and found where the line of ants picked up through the grass.  He was lapping them up by the tongueful.

23 thoughts on “Ants and Aphids”

    1. Good question! I’ve read a bunch of stuff trying to figure it out (it’s seemingly not that uncommon for cats to get high eating ants). The theories range from pounce instincts being triggered to craving more protein in their diet and everything in between.

      My favorite theory is the fact that some species of ant actually contain nepetalactone, which is the same chemical found in catnip that riles up the kitties. This would seem the most likely, as Mr. Davis rolls all over and gets crazy after gorging on ants, but he has no response to actual catnip (something like 25% of cats don’t react to catnip).

      So,yeah, I have no idea, but God forbid I try to drag him away when he’s enjoying his ant buffet. He won’t budge!

    2. Good question! I’ve read a bunch of stuff trying to figure it out (it’s seemingly not that uncommon for cats to get high eating ants). The theories range from pounce instincts being triggered to craving more protein in their diet and everything in between.

      My favorite theory is the fact that some species of ant actually contain nepetalactone, which is the same chemical found in catnip that riles up the kitties. This would seem the most likely, as Mr. Davis rolls all over and gets crazy after gorging on ants, but he has no response to actual catnip (something like 25% of cats don’t react to catnip).

      So,yeah, I have no idea, but God forbid I try to drag him away when he’s enjoying his ant buffet. He won’t budge!

    3. Good question! I’ve read a bunch of stuff trying to figure it out (it’s seemingly not that uncommon for cats to get high eating ants). The theories range from pounce instincts being triggered to craving more protein in their diet and everything in between.

      My favorite theory is the fact that some species of ant actually contain nepetalactone, which is the same chemical found in catnip that riles up the kitties. This would seem the most likely, as Mr. Davis rolls all over and gets crazy after gorging on ants, but he has no response to actual catnip (something like 25% of cats don’t react to catnip).

      So,yeah, I have no idea, but God forbid I try to drag him away when he’s enjoying his ant buffet. He won’t budge!

    4. Good question! I’ve read a bunch of stuff trying to figure it out (it’s seemingly not that uncommon for cats to get high eating ants). The theories range from pounce instincts being triggered to craving more protein in their diet and everything in between.

      My favorite theory is the fact that some species of ant actually contain nepetalactone, which is the same chemical found in catnip that riles up the kitties. This would seem the most likely, as Mr. Davis rolls all over and gets crazy after gorging on ants, but he has no response to actual catnip (something like 25% of cats don’t react to catnip).

      So,yeah, I have no idea, but God forbid I try to drag him away when he’s enjoying his ant buffet. He won’t budge!

    5. Good question! I’ve read a bunch of stuff trying to figure it out (it’s seemingly not that uncommon for cats to get high eating ants). The theories range from pounce instincts being triggered to craving more protein in their diet and everything in between.

      My favorite theory is the fact that some species of ant actually contain nepetalactone, which is the same chemical found in catnip that riles up the kitties. This would seem the most likely, as Mr. Davis rolls all over and gets crazy after gorging on ants, but he has no response to actual catnip (something like 25% of cats don’t react to catnip).

      So,yeah, I have no idea, but God forbid I try to drag him away when he’s enjoying his ant buffet. He won’t budge!

    6. Good question! I’ve read a bunch of stuff trying to figure it out (it’s seemingly not that uncommon for cats to get high eating ants). The theories range from pounce instincts being triggered to craving more protein in their diet and everything in between.

      My favorite theory is the fact that some species of ant actually contain nepetalactone, which is the same chemical found in catnip that riles up the kitties. This would seem the most likely, as Mr. Davis rolls all over and gets crazy after gorging on ants, but he has no response to actual catnip (something like 25% of cats don’t react to catnip).

      So,yeah, I have no idea, but God forbid I try to drag him away when he’s enjoying his ant buffet. He won’t budge!

    7. Good question! I’ve read a bunch of stuff trying to figure it out (it’s seemingly not that uncommon for cats to get high eating ants). The theories range from pounce instincts being triggered to craving more protein in their diet and everything in between.

      My favorite theory is the fact that some species of ant actually contain nepetalactone, which is the same chemical found in catnip that riles up the kitties. This would seem the most likely, as Mr. Davis rolls all over and gets crazy after gorging on ants, but he has no response to actual catnip (something like 25% of cats don’t react to catnip).

      So,yeah, I have no idea, but God forbid I try to drag him away when he’s enjoying his ant buffet. He won’t budge!

    8. Good question! I’ve read a bunch of stuff trying to figure it out (it’s seemingly not that uncommon for cats to get high eating ants). The theories range from pounce instincts being triggered to craving more protein in their diet and everything in between.

      My favorite theory is the fact that some species of ant actually contain nepetalactone, which is the same chemical found in catnip that riles up the kitties. This would seem the most likely, as Mr. Davis rolls all over and gets crazy after gorging on ants, but he has no response to actual catnip (something like 25% of cats don’t react to catnip).

      So,yeah, I have no idea, but God forbid I try to drag him away when he’s enjoying his ant buffet. He won’t budge!

    9. Good question! I’ve read a bunch of stuff trying to figure it out (it’s seemingly not that uncommon for cats to get high eating ants). The theories range from pounce instincts being triggered to craving more protein in their diet and everything in between.

      My favorite theory is the fact that some species of ant actually contain nepetalactone, which is the same chemical found in catnip that riles up the kitties. This would seem the most likely, as Mr. Davis rolls all over and gets crazy after gorging on ants, but he has no response to actual catnip (something like 25% of cats don’t react to catnip).

      So,yeah, I have no idea, but God forbid I try to drag him away when he’s enjoying his ant buffet. He won’t budge!

    10. Good question! I’ve read a bunch of stuff trying to figure it out (it’s seemingly not that uncommon for cats to get high eating ants). The theories range from pounce instincts being triggered to craving more protein in their diet and everything in between.

      My favorite theory is the fact that some species of ant actually contain nepetalactone, which is the same chemical found in catnip that riles up the kitties. This would seem the most likely, as Mr. Davis rolls all over and gets crazy after gorging on ants, but he has no response to actual catnip (something like 25% of cats don’t react to catnip).

      So,yeah, I have no idea, but God forbid I try to drag him away when he’s enjoying his ant buffet. He won’t budge!

    11. Good question! I’ve read a bunch of stuff trying to figure it out (it’s seemingly not that uncommon for cats to get high eating ants). The theories range from pounce instincts being triggered to craving more protein in their diet and everything in between.

      My favorite theory is the fact that some species of ant actually contain nepetalactone, which is the same chemical found in catnip that riles up the kitties. This would seem the most likely, as Mr. Davis rolls all over and gets crazy after gorging on ants, but he has no response to actual catnip (something like 25% of cats don’t react to catnip).

      So,yeah, I have no idea, but God forbid I try to drag him away when he’s enjoying his ant buffet. He won’t budge!

    12. Good question! I’ve read a bunch of stuff trying to figure it out (it’s seemingly not that uncommon for cats to get high eating ants). The theories range from pounce instincts being triggered to craving more protein in their diet and everything in between.

      My favorite theory is the fact that some species of ant actually contain nepetalactone, which is the same chemical found in catnip that riles up the kitties. This would seem the most likely, as Mr. Davis rolls all over and gets crazy after gorging on ants, but he has no response to actual catnip (something like 25% of cats don’t react to catnip).

      So,yeah, I have no idea, but God forbid I try to drag him away when he’s enjoying his ant buffet. He won’t budge!

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