snowleopard Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 FLYING ANTS Don't you just hate the pesky litlle blighters. Each year it seems that for one evening only we get them and tonight was the night. Had to get the washing in from the garden and it was covered in them. AAARGGH They get in your hair, on, your clothes, crawling on your skin. The ant i dont mind. The fly well i would prefur not. But put them together and its just plain evil. There was no need for this creation. What else drives people mad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 a solution: www.littlerockzoo.com/animals/anteater.htm Seriously though, this problem is going to get more and more in the UK because people have panel fencing between their gardens, so hodgepigs cannot get back and for to hoover linke they did in the old days. get a hedge fence or a picket fence, and encourage hodgepigs. Nature has the best solutions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Worker 11811 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Each year it seems that for one evening only we get them and tonight was the night. The ants are swarming, just like bees do. They are trying to establish colonies outside the original nest. Like ToS said, there aren't enough predators to keep their numbers in check. If they aren't taken care of, now, their numbers will grow geometrically in the next few months. Natural predators are best, of course, but a pyretherin-based insecticide poured in a band, totally surrounding your house, about 5 feet wide will, at least, keep them from building nests in your home. If you can find the nest, sprinkle powdered borax directly on top of it. It will kill the nest but it will also kill the grass in the immediate area. You'll probably have to remediate. (Dig up the dirt and resod.) And, just pray they aren't carpenter ants! They are worse than termites! I had to replace a 12 foot section of the side of my house because they ate the sheeting boards completely away. Get them now because once they get into your house and set up shop, you'll have to call an exterminator to get rid of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ew19975 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 The ants that are a pain in my neck of the woods happens to be fire ants. We do have other types of ants, but they get displaced by the fire ants. It's a pain to get rid of them too. The main reason why everyone hates them down here is that they bite and leave small painful welts. Used to see the flying ants swarming one or two nights a year back when I was on night shift. They would fly into the hangar I was working in and swarm around the lights (followed by getting zapped by said lights and fall all over the place). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allfurme Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 The worst pest on the Earth seems to be self erradicating; they are always killing each other. But it's funny that no matter how many of them get killed there still seems to be far to many of them. Human Beings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 I don't kill spiders and snakes don't bother me very much but fat slimy slugs have to be god's most disgusting creatures. OFF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Worker 11811 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 My wife has an irrational fear of insects. Mostly, I don't care about bugs but she goes nuts. It's a girl thing, I guess. When confronted with your garden variety ant, spider or bug, I usually just brush them aside. It's not because I have a thing about not killing bugs. I just don't think it's worth the waste of energy to kill them. Still, most spiders are beneficial. The wife, on the other hand, just freaks out! Over the years, I have gotten her to the point where she will pick up the fly swatter and whack it when she sees one. But more often than not, I have to come and kill it for her. Lately, I have been training her to just suck them up with the vacuum cleaner... Ssssschloopp!! Consequently, I have to take measures to keep all the ants out of the house. My main strategy is what I talked about above. Pour a granular insecticide outside the foundation of the house. You have to do it first thing in the spring when the bugs start to multiply. You have to make a complete, unbroken band around the house and it needs to extend from the foundation about 5 feet out into the grass. Replenish it about half way through the season. Also, you can take measures inside the house. Oil of peppermint or eucalyptus, mixed with a little bit of soap and water, sprayed around the kitchen counters and appliances will serve as a good, semi-natural repelant for ants and bugs. It fouls up ants radar so they can't find food. It works great but you have to replenish it every couple-few days. But, if you keep a spray bottle full of it handy in the kitchen, right near where you keep your usual cleaning solutions you can clean, disinfect and respray the repelant every time you wash up the kitchen. But the big secret is to get the bugs BEFORE they get into the house. Once you have to play "catch-up" you'll never get ahead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclejoe420 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 I had a rather nasty influx of ants a few years ago (before we had cavity-wall insulation), and i found the best way to combat those little flying ant buggers was the red cans of Raid foam - it melts the little buggers on contact!! Not that I wish any real harm to them, but i had to defend my "colony" too!! Anyway, on an unrelated bent, I also have a semi-irrational hatred of reality TV show, especially those involving celebrities... Unclejoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravens8 Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 I was going to say something pretty similar allfurme . Ants are ants , flys are flys, - however unpleasant we may find them. They are all just carrying on their anty and fly- like little businesses, for what purpose? - who knows. Dont suppose they know either Now humans! - They are a different matter. This species seems to make it it's life mission to interfere in the lives of every other living and non living thing, including their own. To interfere, stir things up, completely screw everything up and then move on to the next victims, leaving behind a trail of messed up debris. - How curious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 I hate ants! I go out of my way to wipe them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Uncle Joe; Reality TV is right there with the slimy slugs in my book. Pour beer on a slug and it froths and melts. Pour beer on Reality TV participants and they just get more obnoxious. OFF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Worker 11811 Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Pour beer on a slug and it froths and melts. Pour beer on Reality TV participants and they just get more obnoxious. In both cases, I view that as a horrible waste of good beer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Worker; That's OK .. We can use Miller's or Budwiser. Not a waste at all. OFF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowleopard Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 Blimey some of you really do seem to have some nasty ants out there in various parts of the world. Our 1 evening a year plague of flying ants seems quite tame in comparison. So there are a lot of us that dont like ants this is now firmly established. However i want to know about your other irrational hatred's. like the one of Reality TV or carcrash telly as i call it. I would like to offer up Burberry to the plate. Come on it's just beige tartan. Why did suddenly one morning we all wake up and every woman on the train to work had a burberry handbag. Are we all sheep, can we lead not follow for once. How about some originality out there. Fortunately the whole chav culture has seen burberry take a bit of a downturn over the past year, although it now seems like everyone must have a louis vuitton bag. Not quite so annoying but please women of my commute show me you have your own mind!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 ANTS INCORPORATED INTERNATIONAL The largest earth moving and excavation contractors on the planet. OFF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allfurme Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 I was sat in the garden on a sun lounger this afternoon. I was reading a book and topping up my sunburn. A nest of flying ants decided try to spoil my afternoon. My son suggested i pour boiling water on the nest. I said to him that the ants were only doing what comes naturally and they were not purposely trying to spoil my afternoon.....OR WERE THEY??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Worker 11811 Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 As far as I am concnerned, wife notwithstanding, if the ants are OUTSIDE let them stay outside and they're OK by me. If they try to come INSIDE, they'll get whacked! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 As far as I am concnerned, wife notwithstanding, if the ants are OUTSIDE let them stay outside and they're OK by me. If they try to come INSIDE, they'll get whacked! This is my philosophy as well with a lot of insects. As long as they're outside, all is well and good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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