Ant Parties

My yard has had an incredible number of ants this summer-and I've been bitten quite a few times while pulling weeds or taking pictures. They seem to build their homes under the weeds around plants, and pulling those weeds brings up angry ants scrambling to get their eggs back underground. I thought that the prickly pears were being eaten by the birds, until I noticed this little party yesterday...click on the picture and if you look very closely you can see the ants enjoying the feast.

When they are finished they leave an interesting shell behind.

Happy Saturday!