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Buddhist Ant Crisis in Malaysia

March 15, 2007 at 9:40 AM | by | Comment (1)


Visiting a Buddhist temple--or indeed any religious place--is a great way to learn about the culture and religion of other countries. But you have to be careful if you're dropping by the Hong Hock See Temple on Penang Island in Malaysia.

You know how Buddhists have this great philosophy that they shouldn't be violent or harm other living creatures? Sometimes that makes life a bit tricky. You see, Hong Hock See Temple is home to an infestation of stinging red ants, and one worshipper has even ended up in hospital after being bitten. But they can't just kill them, and so far the best solution has been to vacuum them up and let them out in a forest. The Hoovering, however, hasn't quite solved the problem. Can you help?

They cannot encourage anyone to harm the ants, but the chief monk says that if someone turns up unbidden and deals with them without the monks' involvement then that is the will of the universe.

If you're heading by Malaysia, and you're a good at gently shooing ants (read: exterminating them), drop in on Hong Hock See.

[Photo: JRmannn]

Related Stories:
· Buddhist Dilemma Over Ants [Ananova]
· Malaysian Monks Face Ant Dilemma [BBC]

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Buddhist Ant Crisis in Malaysia

Harmless way to remove ants from the temple.

When you read this response on how to help remove ants from the temple without killing or harming them and you feel the method suggeted is worth a try and you would like to participate as part of the solution to the temple's crisis, please pass this message to the monks or abbot of the temple.

Question: why are ants living in the temple?

Answer: for food and shelter.

Question: what do ants find in the temple that provides as source of food for them to eat?

Answer: The picture on the news shows that ants are busy gathering flower sugary nectars as their daily staple diet.

Ants love sugar or sweet food that provides energy for these tiny little creatures.

Solution: Ask a devotee or benefactor to do the followings:.

(1) Every morning fill up a bowl of sugar and take it to the outside of the temple! The ants will come for the food outdoor where it is sugar aplenty!

Question: Where do the ants go when they have  gathered and gotten aplenty of this sugar?

Answer: Back to their indoor nest!

Solution: (2) Remove all the indoor plant from inside the temple that grow flowers oozing with nectar! Take these to the shades outside the temple either in the back courtyard or the front courtyard.

Replace other types of indoor flowering plants that release more fragrance than nectars for the visitors to enjoy!

When the two above suggestions are taken to task, we have found the ants and their nest a new home outdoor and a bowl of sugar daily provided to initially attract the ants away from inside the temple until they have accustomed to the habit of staying outdoor in the shades and not coming back indoor again!

The ants get what they want. The monks and the devotees also get what they want.

There ants won't return to the temple because there are no more reasons for them to do so. No ant gets hurt or killed in the process and peaceful co-existence is maintained and respected.

Ants Curator

 

Ants Curator on March 15, 2007 at 8:15 PM #Permalink

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