I think that if I were to let it, my Florida life would devolve into one long, all consuming battle with ants.
Florida has:
Florida has:
- Acrobat ants
- Argentine ants
- Big headed ants
- Caribbean crazy ants
- Carpenter ants
- Fire ants
- Ghost ants
- Pavement ants
- Pharaoh ants
- Pyramid ants
- Small honey ants
- White footed ants
A single nest of white-footed ants can contain millions of ants. The park sprays for fire ants every year. Fire ants bite and sting like crazy. I hire a pest control service to inspect and spray as needed four times a year. I still see them sometimes. If I really want to see them, all I have to do is drop the tiniest bit of strawberry jam on the kitchen counter and not notice to wipe it up right away.
The white footed ants will find it and remind me!
I got on this subject because I just had a visit from the friendly neighborhood electrician. The other night I turned on the kitchen light and there was crackling and popping and the light flickered before turning on. I thought the house would surely burn down.
The electrician said the ants will sometimes get into the switches and I was frying them. The switch worked fine when he tried it, of course, but he changed it out anyway.
Google image
Pests, one and all!
I remember when Florida did not have fire ants. I lived in Texas which did and they asked us not to transport plants for fear of introducing the ants. They eventually made their way regardless. I worry about what is leaking into the water table and into the Everglades when millions of people are spraying their yard for the millions of ants. I was trying to get rid of ants in my kitchen a few years ago and nothing worked. The pesticide guy brought some traps which he said were federally controlled because they were so potent. I could not buy them but had to get a license/permit like him. The ants are going to eventually win of course.
ReplyDeleteOh my, that sounds awful. I well remember red ants and fire ants in Texas as outside ants. Inside we had little black ants referred to as piss ants or sugar ants. We've been in Oregon almost twelve years & I think this must be the first time I've thought about ants. I've never seen them in our apartment and no one ever comes to spray inside the apartments. I don't know about outside. I don't see ants when I'm walking outside but they must be here somewhere. I've never heard of a place that didn't have ants.
ReplyDeleteLinda!! Great to hear from you!
DeleteThose fire ants are awful. Many will travel unnoticed up your body but when one bites you, they all do at the same time. Those suckers hurt.
ReplyDeleteI heard they are marching up the US and just hope they don't like mountains.
Hi Olga, how are you? I came over from Kay/Musings blog for a visit and to meet new people. This is a very informative post, it is very well done. Thank you for putting this together and for sharing this interesting and helpful information.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
DeleteI would not like having all those ants around. I guess paradise has its drawbacks! Fried ants from turning on the ants makes for an interesting story.
ReplyDeleteIt does indeed---bugs and humidity. My FL hair is very curly. VT has lots of annoying insects as well, but you get a break from them in the winter time.
DeleteI had no idea there were that many types of ants. I dislike them all. Nasty little critters.
ReplyDeleteYikes! There are definite disadvantages to living in the "tropics".
ReplyDeleteI have heard that the Pacific Northwest has few pesky bugs. Can that possibly be? Cause I would envy that more even than your lush growing season.
DeleteSO creepy and yet I could not stop reading! Glad I found this site. I'm getting older and my hair is grey and I needed a nice place to be in my old age. ;) I'm new around the blog world. Happy to say that I am a new follower. Dea
ReplyDeleteWelcome! Glad you stopped by and joined the largely grey haired set.
DeleteOh no no no! We have a lot of ants too. We do battle them all the time, but I don't know what kind they are. I've used corn meal on them and for some reason it works. Then I read that corn meal doesn't really work. You're supposed to mix it with some boric acid and spread it while using gloves. Whatever the case, it seemed to work for us... for now.
ReplyDeleteI use sugar and borax and it is very effective.
DeleteOMG! Don't sit down or you'll get ants in your pants:-)
ReplyDeleteI had a problem with ants, too.
ReplyDeleteRecipe for ant poison that worked for me is:
1 cup of water
7 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of boric acid
Stir.
Place 3 cotton balls in a small bowl.
Pour solution over balls.
Place bowl where you saw the ants.
Do not drown the ants. They must return to their nest and kill the queen when she eats their poisoned bodies.
Memories of Barbara Kingsolver's ant stampede in the Poisonwood Bible comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteUgh. I've lived on a major any hill in the past; I so get this. This past year we dealt with super small ants...but they were upstairs, not in any room that ever had food in it. So weird. HATE THE LITTLE SUCKERS. :(
ReplyDeleteOh, no! We've had ants every spring, but the extreme cold gets rid of them eventually! You take care!
ReplyDeleteAnts are just another reason I would not move south to sunny Florida- home of many different insects! Sorry Olga- I am headed north when we retire!
ReplyDeleteSouthern California has its share of ants but I had no idea there were so many varieties! I tried the borax and sugar solution last year but really didn't think I did anything more than feed the ants! They just found some place new to show up. I hate ants!
ReplyDelete