Rush Hour Traffic:

Bees, Ants and Termites have an App for That


Inspiration can come from any avenue and necessity is the mother of invention so it shouldn’t be any surprise that some scientist would decide traffic could take a cue from the masters of traffic control.

Birds do it, bees do it, and locusts do it too. They travel without running into one another, even when there is a huge flock or swarm. Air traffic control over New York looks like a nightmare if you see the tens of thousands of flights all at once. Those flights are separated by air space, but from a bird’s eye view they look as if they should be crashing. Rush hour traffic looks as though it isn’t moving at all, and if you ask the commuters who are stuck in the traffic jams, they would say it isn’t. Yet millions of insects can co-exist in a colony and never have a traffic problem. Technology is trying to answer the problem and they are using the insect colonies as a model.

Cars are already appearing on the market with park assist, parallel parking without the fear of a fender bender; ingenious. Cars now have sensors that can alert the driver if there is danger of a collision. New programs are available that will route you home based on GPS coordinates and current traffic conditions, “finding” you the quickest clear route home from wherever you are.

The mobile app industry is making the latest technology available but soon these apps will be a part of the car’s operating system and the news gets better. There is one application that would use “Virtual red lights” in traffic control; another will actually take over the steering wheel and get the car out of the traffic jam as soon as there is an opening.

I can’t say that I am ready to have my car drive me home, but imagine the implications. How hard will it be to get a driver’s license when your car can drive and park for you? I wonder what Henry Ford would think of his automobile when it becomes a truly “Auto” mobile. It gives a whole new meaning to the thought of driving an automatic, doesn’t it?

The technology to turn our traffic control into a giant ant colony isn’t quite there yet, but it will probably be commonplace in my lifetime. Hard to believe that we will make the cars drive automatically but can’t seem to control the species they will soon be emulating.

The first step in pest control is contacting a professional. The reason insects move so efficiently isn’t because of some app but because of chemistry, pest control Arizona understands the chemistry of termite, and ant traffic. If you have seen evidence that your home is in the midst of an insect freeway, they can help get that traffic under control, without waiting for the app for that.



Tempe AZ –

Termite Control Arizona

1753 E BROADWAY, STE #101

TEMPE, AZ 85282

(480) 630-3019