No doubt owing to global warming, we have been overtaken by tiny ants. We've had them every year since we moved out here in the country from our city place a few years ago, and actually had someone come spray for them a couple of springs back, but we've never had them as infested as this year. We had an exterminator guy come over today, and he clearly loves his job and loves huntin' ants. He pointed with glee at the microscopic crack in the foundation under our front brick stairs and said, "there's your problem! I guarantee there's billions of ants living under those stairs."
Yes, he said Billions.
I'm just freaked out about the idea of billions of anything being on my property, let alone ants.
I don't think we have a billion leaves on our trees. I don't think we have a billion dandelions in our yard, although sometimes it looks like it. I don't think we even have a billion crushed Cheerios in our carpet, although sometimes I suspect it.
And don't write snarly comments that the crushed Cheerios might be the reason for the billions of ants....everyone locally is having "ant issues" this spring.
9 comments:
Actually, they seem to be better organized this year than a couple of years ago. Then, we had trails going across the carpet, if you recall. This year, they seem to have regulated themselves to around baseboards and door facings.
Little F***ers were mighty scarce in the bathroom this morning, I might add.
I know your exterminator will laugh at this, but ants hate peppermint- it throws them off their scented path. Health food stores sell peppermint oil and even liquid peppermint soap that can be mixed with water and sprayed on their little pathways. It's worth it just to see them scatter, wandering aimlessly, and it's kind of nice to use on countertops where you really don't want them parading around. The minty smell is somewhat satisfying too.
On the non-organic front, Matt and I used some little plastic ant poison plugs outside the house last year that seemed to work well.
Good luck, Auntie Ant Killer!
shley's solution: get chickens. that's right, real hillbilly birds to wander around on the lawn and IN the house to peck up those little ants!
actually, i have no real solution.
Hey, I have the solution for your ant anxiety...go out and scoop them up to make ant farms. I saw a story about a man who made millions doing just that. Kids love them.
Guinea Birds? Can you keep them? Course, they don't lay no farm fresh eggs. Mmmm. Eggs.
PS- Easter plans?
I love the idea of making cold hard cash off the little fellows. Good news...so far today they have pretty much disappeared. Next time I'll definitely try the peppermint thing, though.
As for the chickens...we have folks living about a mile from here on the crest of a hill/curve in the highway who keep free-range chickens (although I doubt that is what they call them...they are just chickens they are too cheap to build a pen for) and I've seen not once but twice, the swift demise of unfortunate chickens who have wandered into the road (no doubt to get to the other side?) and have been instantly sent on to their greater reward by oncoming SUVs and trucks. It is just a POOF of feathers.
As for Easter...we're huntin' eggs, of course!
hm, next time you see a POOF of feathers, go out and collect the remains for a delicious snack! that's what the english mother used to say about hitting pheasants with her car- "if i don't run over the breast i stop and pick it up." thankfully, i never had to eat road kill during my stay.
shely,I'm glad you're back in the states! A little "poof" would go a very long way with me.
I'm not entirely sure the owners of the Poofed Chickens are not picking them up and salvaging what they can. I've seen one "poofed" on my way to town, and by the time I come back through an hour later all the evidence that remains are some feathers.
If you could see the house (actually one "stick" house, and three ancient mobile homes, complete with a Quonset hut barn all make up the estate of the chicken farmers) then you would probably know that the chickens who cross the road on that farm soon become a stew with tasty dumplins.
Post a Comment