Sayings of the Grebo people of Liberia, West Africa.

The ant says, “Nothing surpasses a swarming crowd.”

This Grebo saying, expresses the idea that there is safety in numbers. Nothing illustrates that better than a swarm of ants. A large swarm of hungry West African driver ants can turn a fully grown goat into a skeleton within three days. They might not be as fast as the fictional Vashta Nerada Dr. Who, or the army ants in The Naked Jungle movie, but, they are just as efficient at eating things. The safest thing to do when they’re on the move is to get out of the way.

Not even an elephant would stand in the path of driver ants on the march. If their path goes through your house, you can be guaranteed that your home will be pest free when they’re gone. They will eat or carry off every last rodent, reptile, scorpion, cockroach etc., that they come across. They will eat your pets, your livestock and even you, if you cannot get out of their way. Lol

Professor David Hu and Nathan Mlot at Georgia Tech have done some wonderful work in showing us how ants band together to form structures that help them survive disruptions in their environment.

Floating ant raft

The folks at the ant lab have video showing how they tried and failed to sink a floating fire ant raft. Check out more pictures of the fire ants on the National Geographic website.

So yep, “Nothing surpasses a swarming crowd.”

More animal proverbs from the Grebo:

The mosquito says, “If you want someone to understand you, speak in his ears.” (If you want to persuade someone, go to them directly. Don’t send a messenger.)

The dog says, “An old man begs with his eyes, not with words.” (A person’s face says as much as his words.)

The pig says, “Muddy roads are plentiful.” (If you are not successful doing something one way, try another way.)

The chicken says, “We follow the one with something in her mouth.” (If you want to learn something, listen to the one with proven success, not the braggart.)

The deer says, “If you are a coward, your horns will not wear.” (You can tell those who rise to the challenge from those who do not.)