Ants. We have ants.
They started showing up in the sunroom. Then they migrated
to the great room. I noticed what looked like a crack in the sunroom floor,
right about where those suckers were showing up. So I called the builder.
The crack is there (which will be fixed…eventually), but
it’s not the source of the ants. Even though the house isn’t insured against
insects, he still did us a favor and bought a gallon container of some
pesticide that’s also good on the inside. He sprayed all around the house
yesterday and left the remainder on the porch. I sprayed inside after I found
ants in my trash can.
Have I told you how much I hate ants?
Our builder swears by this stuff, though. Said he had a
pretty bad infestation at his home and it took care of it. Keeping my fingers
crossed that I’ve seen the last of them. At least until we get grass.
Yesterday the builder graded the back yard (although I have
no idea when to expect our patio, driveway, and sidewalks to be poured; nothing
has been formed yet). There was a killdeer nest out in the “yard,” but I’m
guessing it’s not there anymore. I don’t see the bird or any sign of the eggs.
I thought for sure the eggs would have hatched before the sod was laid (seeing
as we need the concrete poured first). I just wasn’t counting on the yard
getting graded before then. Oh well. Sorry birdie!
Yesterday I took a break from the old house. Of course that
didn’t mean I didn’t work. I just put some of the stuff away, or at least moved
the boxes to their correct room. Baby steps!
We had planned on having the house-warming party on the
30th. But since it looks like we won’t get our driveway and patio until after
that day, we pushed it to August 11. Just as well. I wasn’t so sure I would be ready by the 30th!
So… how much do you hate ants? So annoying, aren’t they?
Happy Friday!
Stacy
6 comments:
We get ants without fail in our kitchen every spring. This year, they were coming in under the kitchen door. Last year, they were coming in from somewhere in the pantry and making their way over toward the sink. The year before that, I think they were getting in somewhere under the kitchen window. I've tried the TAT traps, but I'm never sure if that's what gets rid of them or if they just give up after a week or two. Last year and this year, I used Terro liquid. The infestation went away much faster, though initially ants crowd around that sucker and it's really gross.
I hate ants in the house. I can put up with a lot of other stuff, but ants really bother me. Good luck!
Naturally! Yeah, hate ants, although hate cockroaches more. Not sure what our bug guys sprays, but we haven't had ants in over thirteen years.
Jeff - Growing up in Santa Barbara, I remember Mom fighting ants all the time. She could never leave the dog food out or it would be covered. I think she's still fighting them because I saw the ant traps during my last visit but no ants (then again, she doesn't have any pets). I hope my fight doesn't last THAT long, but I'm afraid it might.
Alex - I'm thinking I may need to get a bug guy, too. Even living in Alabama, I managed NOT to have cockroaches inside the house (yay!), but my mother-in-law was always fighting those (in Florida). Or maybe she wasn't fighting and just gave up. I don't know. I refused to eat in her house, though.
We use the stuff that JeffO uses and it does a fair job if the ants don't overdose and die right there. The thing is, I need them to bring the stuff back to kill the queen.
I had read awhile back, that killing the soldiers as we see them, only creates more soldiers. Not sure if that's true but since I read that, I go for the queen.
Finding the nest and killing her works, if you can find the nest. Sorry your new house already got hit.
I, too, hate them. But right now I'm fighting spider mites outside. But ants; YUCK.
Ivy - With our luck, the nest is probably UNDER the house! Haha!
Silver - I've only seen spider mites once, on a plant I got as a present. That plant ended up in the trash! I don't garden outside, so hopefully those won't be a problem for me. :)
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