Once in a while I bring a mug of coffee when I visit the orchard. I feel totally refreshed smelling the aroma of freshly brewed roasted rice coffee while checking every tree.
This practice though had some misfortunes before. Not to me personally, but to the mug and its contents. After I left it on the ground, it was fair game to the elements.
There was a time a stray dog, probably too thirsty to go somewhere else, licked the mug. It tasted so good that he finished off the contents, leaving me with his saliva all over the upturned mug.
And then, there was this incident when a bird (not the same bird that pooed on my forehead) deposited its unwanted waste straight down to the mug. Luckily, I saw the whole thing, I was not able to savor a new kind of blend.
After that event I was more careful to leave my mug unattended for long periods of time. If I did, I glanced at it to be sure it would be safe from natural contaminants.
But even with my hawk-eye guarding, I was unaware what was happening beyond the scope of my vision..
I sat down under a tree and reached for it. Since it was already cold (by the way, I hate wasting leftovers), I drank the contents in one gulp. It tasted a bit sour.
Imagine my surprise when my hand felt the prickly pain followed by itchiness. Then, my lips felt the same way. Initially, I feared the coffee was already stale which triggered the skin reactions.
I looked at the mug closely: tiny small creatures crawled. I knew then that some of those critters who survived my Godzilla-styled swallowing had taken their revenge.The red ants would not be denied.
belsbror 
You need a cup guard. ❤
Ants are resourceful. If they want it, they’ll go for it. 🙂
So true.
no no no no no no no
What can I say?
You need a fish net for your cup. Ouch.
Tried that. They won’t be stopped, though. 🙂