Meaning
Termites — the pale, wood-eating insects that build earthen nests and quietly destroy furniture, rafters, and books from the inside out. In Jamaica they are called 'duck-ants', never termites in everyday speech. To find something 'duck-ants eat out' is to find it hollowed and ruined; the word doubles as an image of hidden, creeping destruction.
Examples
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Duck-ants eat out di whole bureau.
Termites hollowed out the whole dresser.
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Look di duck-ants nest pon di tree.
Look at the termite nest on the tree.
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Di rafta full a duck-ants.
The rafters are full of termites.
Origin
The Jamaican folk name for termites; 'duck-ants' (of uncertain origin) is the universal everyday term. See [[peenie-wallie]].
How it’s used
Termites (the everyday word, not 'termite'); 'duck-ants eat out' = hollowed/ruined. See [[peenie-wallie]].