Ants Attack!

What!? Big, tough sports guys whining about little nips from a little critter? I'll put up with a little inconvenience cuz I like the lil fellows ... just as long as there aren't 10s of 1000s wanting to winter over.

This from the Ohio State extension service on the Asian lady beetle:

Stains and Odor. When lady beetles are disturbed, they defend themselves by exuding a yellow-orange body fluid, which is their blood. This defense mechanism is termed reflex bleeding. The blood has a foul odor and can permanently stain walls, drapes, carpeting, etc. Thus, do not crush or swat lady beetles so as to minimize their defensive behavior.

"Bites." Although an uncommon occurrence, multicolored Asian lady beetles have been reported to nibble, nip, or "bite" humans. These lady beetles are not aggressive toward humans, and they simply may be examining an unfamiliar substrate or they may be seeking moisture. Their occasional nibbling is not reported to break the skin or draw human blood.

Allergic Reactions. Some individuals report an allergenic response to lady beetles. Although published reports are uncommon, multicolored Asian lady beetles apparently can cause inhalant allergies. These allergies clear up once the lady beetles are removed.

I'm not so thrilled about ants. Kill 'em KG and the world will be a better place

 

You have sugar ants. Use Terro. It works. Every time.

 

Yeah, we used to live in the south. That's where we started using it--on those giant, pet-eating roaches.

 

KG -- here is a solution that worked incredibly for me. Borax/Boric acid was already mentioned, but the trick is to mix it with powdered sugar and put it where you know the ants will get it. I believe the mix was something like 4:1 (sugar:borax), so it's super sweet and the ants have no idea they're dragging poison back to the nest. (i had originally tried borax on its own, but the ants avoided it at all costs because, you know, it's poison, and apparently they're not tiny morons.)

anyway, i used the powdered sugar/borax mix, and the next day there was not a sign of the ants at all. and this less than 24 hours after the little fuckers were EVERYWHERE. A few months later, some ants reappeared and again I dispatched them inside of a day.

trust me, this will work. and you won't need much of the mix. just put a few piles out in the places you see the ants. they'll do the work for you.

 

and woohoo! that was my 500th post.

to think, it only took like five years.

 

Thanks, Mr Write. The bait I put out seems to have worked, but if I see any more, I'll try your sweet solution.

 

That's actually the line he uses at bars.

 

Okay, Dools, who's the perv now?

 

You started it.

 

Oh, I can bring it.

 

Yeahyeah. And shotty just spit Dr Pepper and doesn't know why.

 

Moment of silence.