Spiders in your sleeping bag - ever get bit?

[beerrunner13]

the fire extisher thing works ok has a long prod you sove in the mound a few feet and gas the little buggers. My buddy has a lawn service and we do the whole yard tretment for some of his clients and have used pretty much everything on the market. His own yard has them nothing seems to work 100%.

And yes I have seen the floating balls of them here too.Didn't take long to learn don't put your hand on fence posts after heavy rains., they go to the high groun. Until yyou have been nailed by these little buggers you have no idea.

[crashdive123]

Beerrunner - tell your buddy to be careful - that's illegal in Florida.

[beerrunner13]

So I have heard we only do frieds and on weekends. I have had the powers that be come check the truck to see if we have the chemicals on the truck.

[Tahyo]

Tahyo - When you were chasing mounds it was most likely all from the same nest. The nests can stretch out for over 25 ft. Think of the mound as an air conditioner used to regulate the temp of the nest. If you use something that does a quick kill - ants will not come back to that area and just build a new air conditioner - that's why it feels like you're "chasing the nest".

We had about 300 acres just right behind the house. The local farm bureau use to issue out some stuff for free to all the cattle and rice farmers. (we were both)
Anyway, when you looked out across the pasture, it was just endless ant mounds.

[crashdive123]

We had about 300 acres just right behind the house. The local farm bureau use to issue out some stuff for free to all the cattle and rice farmers. (we were both)
Anyway, when you looked out across the pasture, it was just endless ant mounds.

Top Choice is definitely out - don't think it's labeled for pastures.....and it takes 87lbs per acre. I pick the stuff up in 50lb bags for about $160. Do the math. Baits that are labeled for pastures would probably be the best and cheapest option.

[crashdive123]

So I have heard we only do frieds and on weekends. I have had the powers that be come check the truck to see if we have the chemicals on the truck.

Still should be careful using CO2. I've seen some pretty stiff fines for using something that is not labeled as a pesticed.

[Tahyo]

Well I sure don't have to worry about them little red devils anymore. I left La. back in 75 and the closest I get to ants now are the wood ants we see around here.

[Excalibur]

I have learned that the war with fire ants is never ending. each fireant mound is connected to the next and to the next and to the next and so on. They dont interact but the tunnels are connected. you pour boiling oil in one hole they retreat tothe other mound plus unique construction of thier hives prevents direct access to the queen. dynamite aside the best option is ortho fire ant poison spread out over the yard and under the house. dig down about 6 inches in a mound (have fun bee keeper outfit works good) and poor a liter of poison mixed with water to form a liquid down the holes bury the top. my neighbor to the south swears that gasoline poured down the hole and igniting it is a good plan (till he burns down the area)

[crashdive123]

Sorry Excalibur, gotta disagree with you methods there.

[beerrunner13]

I think the person that figures out how to get rid of them will make a ton of money

[crashdive123]

I think the person that figures out how to get rid of them will make a ton of money

That's why I own a pest control company.....still waiting on the tons of money thing.

[Rick]

They way I see it, the south will be little more than a poisonous wasteland inhabited solely by fire ants.

Oooh, and Formosa termites.

[crashdive123]

Ah yes, the dreaded Coptotermes Formosanus.

[bulrush]

Hey all,
I can tell you from experience that in Northern lower Michigan we have some stinging ants. My grandparents had some, and I got stung by those, and I had some at my house one year, and got stung by those. I'm not sure if they are the same species or genus as "fire ants" found in the south, but they swarm and bite none the less. So it is very possible they have stinging ants in Alberta, though they may not be the official "fire ant".

We also have some red and black ants that do not sting.

We also have large black ants that live in colonies in the sand that can be 3-4 feet across. One year I poured molten wax down a hole, carefully dug out the solid wax, cleaned it up and brought it to school. The science teachers loved it. It showed exactly the shape of the tunnels, complete with dead ants.

[Rick]

Bulrush - Fire ants will bite you but only so they can get a good grip to jab you with their stinger. The stinger is on their abdomen. And if that weren't enough to impress you, then they inject piperidine into the wound. Can you say, "feels like fire"? Hence the name.

[Ole WV Coot]

Working for Ma Bell I guess I have been in places with every critter around. Been bitten several times by black widows but not much of a reaction, kinda like a wasp sting. I have been under houses and looked snakes in the eye but avoided them. On a lot of jobs I put on the ole paper coveralls and taped the legs and wrists which seemed to help, wore latex gloves, not heavy enough I know but I can't work with gloves on. Only been bitten by a black snake and I was a kid then. I was told you could grab a snake by it's tail and crack it like a whip and it's head would come off. I gave it a try, snake wrapped around my arm when I jerked it back and tried to have my arm for lunch. I never said I was smart.

[Rick]

Oh, man. I squatted down once to work in a pedestal and one of the "cables" started moving. That got my attention pretty quickly.

Here's a little green snake that wanted to watch me work. He crawled through a bullet hole in the sign and just laid his head on the branch and watched me until I finished.

[gretagreen]

that's really scary. I would hate to get any type of insect in my sleeping bag. besides spiders, there's ticks, mosquitos, and other crazy insects.

[bulrush]

I was told you could grab a snake by it's tail and crack it like a whip and it's head would come off. I gave it a try, snake wrapped around my arm when I jerked it back and tried to have my arm for lunch. I never said I was smart.

Ha ha ha. That's funny. Do you have that "hoop snake" down there too? The one that grabs its own tail, forms a wheel, and rolls away.

[Rick]

Had to use one once when my spare was flat.