my god... as if there wasnt enough to worry about in NO

http://bugguide.net/node/view/15909
Floating Ant Balls

The Times-Picayune mentioned something that we, in the South, know all about after storms: floating ant balls. Here is a picture of what they look like. Ants that get washed out of their colonies form floating balls. Trust me, you do not want to touch one, especially if they are fire ants. But I found a way to treat these ant balls. It turns out that ordinary dish detergent sprayed on these critters will send them to their Creator.
================================
75% of fire ant colonies move at least once every 90 days, usually when they are disturbed by vibrations, lawn mowers, traffic, insecticide poisons or repeated flooding either natural or man-made. Whole fire ant colony "balls" can float in clear water, but sink in soapy or enzyme water and will not cross a sticky barrier.
================================
Fire ants have developed a unique method to keep from drowning. At first hint of rising water, worker ants gather the entire colony into a ball - sometimes as big as a basketball. As the water overtakes the mound, the ball rides the flood like a living raft, rolling in the water so all the members can take turns breathing. When they strike a solid object, be it a swimming dog or your canoe, they quickly swarm aboard.
Things to watch out for:* Dead bodies* Floating Fire Ant Balls* Floating sewage* Toxic Waste - including Oil and Gasoline* Wild Animals - including Alligators and Bigfoot
http://www.mysinglemomlife.com/blog/archives/fireants-thumb.jpg