http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/world/americas/05ants.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=pesticides&st=cse
In Brazil, a delicacy is the queen ant. The thunderous spring rains in October and November drive the ants out of the ground, and for a few short weeks Silveiras becomes a frenzy of ant hunting. Residents stock up, cleaning the içás and freezing them in one and two-liter bottles to get through until the next season. However, this year the ant haul was smaller than usual and the number of ants have declined. The main reason for this decline is the pesticide used on eucalyptus trees that are planted to produce cellulose for paper and other products. Generations of indigenous people used these ants as protein instead of fish and monkeys. Everyone loves it and they know they need to find a solution if they want future generations to continue on with this tradition. Alair Duarte, the president of the town council, said he had proposed limiting eucalyptus plantings to certain areas so the ants can continue to reproduce. “If we don’t do it soon, we won’t have any içás left,” he said. If the içás are imperiled here, some residents say they believe there is still a place where the eucalyptus plantings are not killing off the ants. As much as I do not find these ants appetizing, these people do and its their way of life. They do not want it to end because of this pesticide problem so as long as they are trying to limit this to the ants can reproduce, I am hoping for them that it works.
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