We are berserk about the smallest things:  How to get rid of ants in your driveway. There are dozens of these articles on how to kill this nuisance.  Doesn't it fascinate you to see these mounds of brown and go up it to find out it is a swarm of ants. This happened in the garden a few weeks ago, and I wondered what brown plant that could be. These ants are Pavement Ants. They were studied on the International Space Station in 2014.  Pavement ants have visible grooves on their head and thorax, with a single pair of spines on the thorax alone. They do have stingers. Pavement ants get their name because the often nest under sidewalks, driveways, and building foundations. During the winter, pavement ants may nest inside structures near a heat source. A mound of displaced soil near a paved area is probably a sign of pavement ants. Very often they build their nests along sides of garages and houses, and parts of houses which are constructed on concrete slabs. They may enter homes and businesses through small openings windows and doors, basement walls, or concrete floors. During the winter months, they can be found indoors as they are forced to look for food and water. There are dozens of sites that headline their articles "facts, identification, profile" and conclude with extermination.  The supposed danger is that "they can contaminate human and pet food and can carry germs and disease" - they do come indoors. I don't see any articles about any injuries, illnesses or deaths due to pavement ants. Main.govindicates that the stinger is too weak to damage human skin. So it would seem that this is some socially accepted obsession with neatness on the driveway.  Imagine 19th or early 20th century farm and home owners worrying about ants on the sidewalk or in the drive.  It seems unlikely. So let us conclude with light-heartedness of the last day of school and Ant Jokes, given that's our interest today. Did you hear about the ant that won the Nobel Peace Prize? He was brill-ant.  Where did the ants go on a date? To the school dants. What kind of ants always admit when they’ve done something wrong? Penance.  What is the biggest ant in the world? An elephant. What do you call an ant who skips school? A truant. Where do ants go for a vacation? Frants. What do you get if you cross some ants with some tics? All kinds of antics. What do you call a 100-year old ant? An antique. The countdown to July 1st starts with this picture.