I recently moved into a ranch house (no basement) built in 1999 about 10
miles north of Sarasota in Florida. The problem is fire ants. They
aren't a gross infestation; maybe 25 a day before I started taking
measures. They appear in all rooms somewhat equally, so I can't find
likely point(s) of entry. I keep them under pretty good control using
fire ant granules that I spread around the outside perimeter using a
broadcast lawn fertilizer spreader.

At the junction of the floor and wall in both bathrooms there are gaps
like this, which may be an entry.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90278919@N00/15937498515/

(Ironically, as I was taking the photo, one did emerge. But that was the
first time I witnessed this.)

I want to seal the gap not only because of the ants, but to improve the
appearance. My plan is to brush some borax powder into the cracks, then
run a narrow bead of caulk along the crack to hide it.

The former owners had newly installed carpeting in the bedrooms, so I
can't see if they have similar gaps, but I can put borax acid along the
outside edges.

Any other ideas?

Thanks,

R1

On 12/03/2014 7:10 AM, Rebel1 wrote:
....

I want to seal the gap not only because of the ants, but to improve the
appearance. My plan is to brush some borax powder into the cracks, then
run a narrow bead of caulk along the crack to hide it.
....

Use something far more effective than Borax...at least Amdro or the
like. Probably be worth the $$ to get a professional treatment done
where they can use something more long-term stable (since Chlordane and
its relatives aren't available OTC any longer)...

--

"Rebel1" wrote in message
...
I recently moved into a ranch house (no basement) built in 1999 about 10
miles north of Sarasota in Florida. The problem is fire ants. They aren't a
gross infestation; maybe 25 a day before I started taking measures. They
appear in all rooms somewhat equally, so I can't find likely point(s) of
entry. I keep them under pretty good control using fire ant granules that I
spread around the outside perimeter using a broadcast lawn fertilizer
spreader.

At the junction of the floor and wall in both bathrooms there are gaps
like this, which may be an entry.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90278919@N00/15937498515/

(Ironically, as I was taking the photo, one did emerge. But that was the
first time I witnessed this.)

I want to seal the gap not only because of the ants, but to improve the
appearance. My plan is to brush some borax powder into the cracks, then
run a narrow bead of caulk along the crack to hide it.

The former owners had newly installed carpeting in the bedrooms, so I
can't see if they have similar gaps, but I can put borax acid along the
outside edges.

Any other ideas?

Thanks,

R1



Yeah, get the hell outa Florida.

On 12/3/2014 8:10 AM, Rebel1 wrote:
I recently moved into a ranch house (no basement) built in 1999 about 10
miles north of Sarasota in Florida. The problem is fire ants. They
aren't a gross infestation; maybe 25 a day before I started taking
measures. They appear in all rooms somewhat equally, so I can't find
likely point(s) of entry. I keep them under pretty good control using
fire ant granules that I spread around the outside perimeter using a
broadcast lawn fertilizer spreader.

At the junction of the floor and wall in both bathrooms there are gaps
like this, which may be an entry.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90278919@N00/15937498515/

(Ironically, as I was taking the photo, one did emerge. But that was the
first time I witnessed this.)

I want to seal the gap not only because of the ants, but to improve the
appearance. My plan is to brush some borax powder into the cracks, then
run a narrow bead of caulk along the crack to hide it.

The former owners had newly installed carpeting in the bedrooms, so I
can't see if they have similar gaps, but I can put borax acid along the
outside edges.

Any other ideas?

Thanks,

R1


First thing to do is to clean extra thoroughly...vacuum ever possible
crumb, mop floors, make sure all kitchen storage is clean. Put sweets
(cakes, breads, etc.) and butter in the fridge....everyone in Florida
does. Then put a little bit of Amdro around hills, being careful (per
label) not to disturb the nest. It's real interesting to see them come
out of the nest in a minute or two to grab the bait.

Amdro's directions include using it for broadcast. I think that is
entirely wasteful, as f.a. nest close to pavement and structure and
putting it at the nest makes more sense.

On 12/3/2014 8:50 AM, dpb wrote:
On 12/03/2014 7:10 AM, Rebel1 wrote:
...

I want to seal the gap not only because of the ants, but to improve the
appearance. My plan is to brush some borax powder into the cracks, then
run a narrow bead of caulk along the crack to hide it.
...

Use something far more effective than Borax...at least Amdro or the
like. Probably be worth the $$ to get a professional treatment done
where they can use something more long-term stable (since Chlordane and
its relatives aren't available OTC any longer)...

--

Living in PRNY, we get carpenter ants, but not the tiny
vicious assault fire ants. My friend from SC says that
the pros can get chemicals that are not available to
ordinary Joes. Which is likely good, they would be
over used.

One time I was in SC, and the fellow I was helping did
step on a fire ant nest. I was amazed how small they
are, compared to fire ants. But they were wicked, and
he was suffering from the bites for a couple days.

-
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

Then put a little bit of Amdro around hills, being careful (per
label) not to disturb the nest. It's real interesting to see them come
out of the nest in a minute or two to grab the bait.

Amdro's directions include using it for broadcast. I think that is
entirely wasteful, as f.a. nest close to pavement and structure and
putting it at the nest makes more sense.

Problems is, I don't see mounds anywhere. And before I bought the house,
I had a pro do an inspection; he didn't find anything out of the ordinary.

Amdro was the first product I used outside. It worked okay for a while.
My second outdoor treatment was with a product from Ortho (can't
remember the exact product name), bought at HD. Worked much better.

Another problem with Amdro: It's for outdoor use.

On Wed, 03 Dec 2014 10:12:07 -0500, Rebel1
wrote:

Amdro's directions include using it for broadcast. I think that is
entirely wasteful, as f.a. nest close to pavement and structure and
putting it at the nest makes more sense.

Problems is, I don't see mounds anywhere. And before I bought the house,
I had a pro do an inspection; he didn't find anything out of the ordinary.

Amdro was the first product I used outside. It worked okay for a while.
My second outdoor treatment was with a product from Ortho (can't
remember the exact product name), bought at HD. Worked much better.

Another problem with Amdro: It's for outdoor use.

You really need to kill the Queen (S).

"The Queen:

The queen is the largest ant in the colony. Her primary responsibility
is to lay eggs. A typical queen will produce between 1,500 to 1,600
eggs per day. The queen's lifespan is about seven years long.

Workers will diligently and aggressively protect the queen. If the
mound is disturbed in any way, the worker ants will instantaneously
swarm on top of the mound for approximately eight minutes, assuring
that nothing enters the mound.

If the disturbance continues, the workers then quickly escort the
queen safely through underground tunnels, where she then can start a
new colony. Note that some colonies are so big that there will be
numerous queens within a single colony, with some having over a
hundred in a single colony. "

http://www.controlfireants.com/fire-ant-colonies.htm

Food grade Diatomaceous Earth: In addition to killing fleas and ticks
on your pets and in your home, diatomaceous earth can also help kill
other pests and is a natural form of chemical-free pest control to
kill roaches, silverfish, ants, bedbugs, flies, fleas, box elder bugs,
scorpions, crickets, and many other insects. - See more at:

http://www.allnaturalpethealth.com/Articles/Flea%20and%20Tick%20Information/diatomaceous-earth-for-natural-flea-and-insect-control#sthash.H3qB2Vyo.dpuf

DE is safe inside, around pets and children (edible). DE is a
microscopic natural fossil - with sharp edges. When ant walk on it,
it cuts the exoskeleton, causes the ant to dehydrate.

Apply the DE with Pesticide Powder Duster:

http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Homewares-Duster-Pesticide-Powder/dp/B00967J4PK

On Wed, 03 Dec 2014 07:28:25 -0700, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

On 12/3/2014 8:50 AM, dpb wrote:
On 12/03/2014 7:10 AM, Rebel1 wrote:
...

I want to seal the gap not only because of the ants, but to improve the
appearance. My plan is to brush some borax powder into the cracks, then
run a narrow bead of caulk along the crack to hide it.
...

Use something far more effective than Borax...at least Amdro or the
like. Probably be worth the $$ to get a professional treatment done
where they can use something more long-term stable (since Chlordane and
its relatives aren't available OTC any longer)...

--

Living in PRNY, we get carpenter ants, but not the tiny
vicious assault fire ants. My friend from SC says that
the pros can get chemicals that are not available to
ordinary Joes. Which is likely good, they would be
over used.

One time I was in SC, and the fellow I was helping did
step on a fire ant nest. I was amazed how small they
are, compared to fire ants. But they were wicked, and
he was suffering from the bites for a couple days.

-
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

Doesn't the presence of fire ants mean there are NO termites?

"Rebel1" wrote in message

Then put a little bit of Amdro around hills, being careful (per
label) not to disturb the nest. It's real interesting to see them
come
out of the nest in a minute or two to grab the bait.

Amdro's directions include using it for broadcast. I think that is
entirely wasteful, as f.a. nest close to pavement and structure and
putting it at the nest makes more sense.

Problems is, I don't see mounds anywhere. And before I bought the house,
I had a pro do an inspection; he didn't find anything out of the
ordinary.

Then - in all probability - what you are seeing aren't fire ants. I've
lived in Florida for 21 years now, seen umpteen fire ant mounds on our 10
acres but have NEVER seen a fire ant inside the house.

That is not to say we never have ants inside, we do. And our house is
incredibly tight; nevertheless, the suckers find a way in. And if they
can't, they will excavate a way through the concrete block by slowly
removing small granules from the mortar joints.

I'm pretty much reconciled to cohabiting with an occasional ant - after
all, they do clean up stuff - but my wife is pickier. She likes the
little tubes filled with a liquid that the pro exterminators place here
and there. If she can't get those, she uses the little square ant trap
things.



--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On 12/3/2014 9:28 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 12/3/2014 8:50 AM, dpb wrote:
On 12/03/2014 7:10 AM, Rebel1 wrote:
...

I want to seal the gap not only because of the ants, but to improve the
appearance. My plan is to brush some borax powder into the cracks, then
run a narrow bead of caulk along the crack to hide it.
...

Use something far more effective than Borax...at least Amdro or the
like. Probably be worth the $$ to get a professional treatment done
where they can use something more long-term stable (since Chlordane and
its relatives aren't available OTC any longer)...

--

Living in PRNY, we get carpenter ants, but not the tiny
vicious assault fire ants. My friend from SC says that
the pros can get chemicals that are not available to
ordinary Joes. Which is likely good, they would be
over used.

When I lived in Florida, I was doing yard work around the condo. I
knelt down on a fire ant nest....they are very stealthy and can be all
over you before they bite.....then they bit! Man! I was up and
brushing off fire ants from my thighs as fast as I could. Probably
didn't take 10 sec. to get most of them off, but still had over 100 bites.

One time I was in SC, and the fellow I was helping did
step on a fire ant nest. I was amazed how small they
are, compared to fire ants. But they were wicked, and
he was suffering from the bites for a couple days.

-
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

On Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:59:03 -0500, wrote:

On Wed, 3 Dec 2014 11:14:37 -0500, "dadiOH"
wrote:

"Rebel1" wrote in message

Then put a little bit of Amdro around hills, being careful (per
label) not to disturb the nest. It's real interesting to see them
come
out of the nest in a minute or two to grab the bait.

Amdro's directions include using it for broadcast. I think that is
entirely wasteful, as f.a. nest close to pavement and structure and
putting it at the nest makes more sense.

Problems is, I don't see mounds anywhere. And before I bought the house,
I had a pro do an inspection; he didn't find anything out of the
ordinary.

Then - in all probability - what you are seeing aren't fire ants. I've
lived in Florida for 21 years now, seen umpteen fire ant mounds on our 10
acres but have NEVER seen a fire ant inside the house.

That is not to say we never have ants inside, we do. And our house is
incredibly tight; nevertheless, the suckers find a way in. And if they
can't, they will excavate a way through the concrete block by slowly
removing small granules from the mortar joints.

I'm pretty much reconciled to cohabiting with an occasional ant - after
all, they do clean up stuff - but my wife is pickier. She likes the
little tubes filled with a liquid that the pro exterminators place here
and there. If she can't get those, she uses the little square ant trap
things.


I tend to agree. When I moved here I had a lot of fire ants but they
were all outside. I used Amdro, then Orthene when they stopped eating
Amdro and pretty much wiped them out. The downside is that then the
other, more invasive ants (white footed, big head etc) moved in and
I have had ant problems since.
The only real way to attack ants is with baits. If nothing else, they
stop eating the bait. I have baited these ants so long and with so
many things they don't seem to eat anything. You can pour sugar on the
floor and they will not touch it.
I have also worked my way through most proteins. It got so selective
that they were only eating something that the dog had chewed on. I
baited with that and killed that queen too.

I bait with whatever I see an ant interested in and that stops the
colony he is from within a day. We changed brands of dog food and they
were interested in the new stuff. I mixed it into a bait and I am ant
free right now but I expect to see them again soon.

Mix your bait about 1 part boric acid to 12-15 parts food. That will
get them but somebody will move in to take their place after a while
ant they probably will not eat that bait anymore.

I do think that a lot of things we "know" about ants is not really
true. They are finding that an "orphan" ant from a colony with a dead
queen can join another colonty and I suspect they learn from him, what
killed his queen but it may be by eating him.

I grew up in Lee County. Grandfather called 'em "**** ants", because
they bite the **** out of you! He'd pour gas, allow a few moments
and light the mound to burn them.

The smaller red ones.

http://schopfercorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/california-ants-types-7414.jpg


These bigger one are awful when they bite...

http://myrmecos.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/invicta39.jpg

Fire ant stings cause a raised white pustule that lasts for
many days.

Fire ants bite as well, grasping the skin with their mandibles
to anchor themselves and better insert their sting. The bite is of no
lasting consequence, but the venom they inject through their sting is
quite potent, especially in relation to their size. Unlike the sting
of the honey bee, the sting of the fire ant is not barbed, and an
individual worker can sting repeatedly and still survive to return to
her normal duties.

Pic:

http://msucares.com/insects/fireants/sting.html

On 12/3/2014 10:12 AM, Rebel1 wrote:

Then put a little bit of Amdro around hills, being careful (per
label) not to disturb the nest. It's real interesting to see them come
out of the nest in a minute or two to grab the bait.

Amdro's directions include using it for broadcast. I think that is
entirely wasteful, as f.a. nest close to pavement and structure and
putting it at the nest makes more sense.

Problems is, I don't see mounds anywhere. And before I bought the house,
I had a pro do an inspection; he didn't find anything out of the ordinary.

Amdro was the first product I used outside. It worked okay for a while.
My second outdoor treatment was with a product from Ortho (can't
remember the exact product name), bought at HD. Worked much better.

Another problem with Amdro: It's for outdoor use.

Nice thing about Amdro is that you aren't spreading poison all over the
place to get at a few nests. I've seen people dump enough Spectracide
on their yard to CRUSH all of the ants.....so lame and stupid.


Well, the idea behind making a real clean-up is to get rid of bait that
attracks them to the indoors. If there are no mounds (under planters or
pavers, along walks, etc) then they may not be fire ants. Get a bottle
of boric acid ant bait....most hardware and big box stores have it....it
is generic and easy to use. Put a drop or ten on the trail the ants use
to get to where they go in the house; takes a while, but it has always
worked for me.

On 12/3/2014 10:46 AM, RobertMacy wrote:
On Wed, 03 Dec 2014 07:28:25 -0700, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

On 12/3/2014 8:50 AM, dpb wrote:
On 12/03/2014 7:10 AM, Rebel1 wrote:
...

I want to seal the gap not only because of the ants, but to improve the
appearance. My plan is to brush some borax powder into the cracks, then
run a narrow bead of caulk along the crack to hide it.
...

Use something far more effective than Borax...at least Amdro or the
like. Probably be worth the $$ to get a professional treatment done
where they can use something more long-term stable (since Chlordane and
its relatives aren't available OTC any longer)...

--

Living in PRNY, we get carpenter ants, but not the tiny
vicious assault fire ants. My friend from SC says that
the pros can get chemicals that are not available to
ordinary Joes. Which is likely good, they would be
over used.

One time I was in SC, and the fellow I was helping did
step on a fire ant nest. I was amazed how small they
are, compared to fire ants. But they were wicked, and
he was suffering from the bites for a couple days.

-
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

Doesn't the presence of fire ants mean there are NO termites?

No.

On Wed, 03 Dec 2014 12:22:29 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

When I lived in Florida, I was doing yard work around the condo. I
knelt down on a fire ant nest....they are very stealthy and can be all
over you before they bite.....then they bit! Man! I was up and
brushing off fire ants from my thighs as fast as I could. Probably
didn't take 10 sec. to get most of them off, but still had over 100 bites.

.... Ah feel your pain. Mowing the lawn, NOT seeing the mound, on the
return cut there will be more ants ready to attack ... BTDT.

Jump in the lake or cool your legs with a water hose, rubbing them off
as fast as you can. White vinegar will take out much of the sting.

Like trying to rub a knot off your head after bumping it, falling out
of a tree really fast. Fire ants can make you dance

"Norminn" wrote in message
...
On 12/3/2014 10:12 AM, Rebel1 wrote:

Then put a little bit of Amdro around hills, being careful (per
label) not to disturb the nest. It's real interesting to see them come
out of the nest in a minute or two to grab the bait.

Amdro's directions include using it for broadcast. I think that is
entirely wasteful, as f.a. nest close to pavement and structure and
putting it at the nest makes more sense.

Problems is, I don't see mounds anywhere. And before I bought the house,
I had a pro do an inspection; he didn't find anything out of the
ordinary.

Amdro was the first product I used outside. It worked okay for a while.
My second outdoor treatment was with a product from Ortho (can't
remember the exact product name), bought at HD. Worked much better.

Another problem with Amdro: It's for outdoor use.

Nice thing about Amdro is that you aren't spreading poison all over the
place to get at a few nests. I've seen people dump enough Spectracide on
their yard to CRUSH all of the ants.....so lame and stupid.


Well, the idea behind making a real clean-up is to get rid of bait that
attracks them to the indoors. If there are no mounds (under planters or
pavers, along walks, etc) then they may not be fire ants. Get a bottle of
boric acid ant bait....most hardware and big box stores have it....it is
generic and easy to use. Put a drop or ten on the trail the ants use to
get to where they go in the house; takes a while, but it has always worked
for me.

I'm in North Texas - we have fire ants, too - for a lotta years, I used a
broadcast spreader all around the yard with some kind of granules that kill
a lotta different things - now, I still use the granules outside, but I only
apply them in a 2 - 3 foot wide band around the foundation with a coffee can
shaker - where I can (mainly in the brick's weep holes), I also use the
white powder (mostly borax, I think) from Home Depot that's advertised for
roaches - I also use the white powder inside the house under the fridge,
behind the stove, under the sinks (near water sources) and behind the the
baseboards (I pulled the baseboards when I put in new flooring) - IIRC, the
white powder looses effectiveness when it gets wet.

Outside the house, I've also had very good luck keeping insects away with
Terro - I think it's a sugar water \ borax mix - it's a bait - as long as I
keep the Terro bait stations filled, there are no ants around.

IMHO, sealing cracks to keep ants out is ineffective - they'll get in
through places you can't see - baiting them, and letting the ants take the
poison back to the nest, works best, IMHO.

FWIW, I don't have any pets or kids around that'd mess with the bait
stations . . .

On 12/3/2014 12:22 PM, Norminn wrote:
On 12/3/2014 9:28 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 12/3/2014 8:50 AM, dpb wrote:
On 12/03/2014 7:10 AM, Rebel1 wrote:
...

I want to seal the gap not only because of the ants, but to improve the
appearance. My plan is to brush some borax powder into the cracks, then
run a narrow bead of caulk along the crack to hide it.
...

Use something far more effective than Borax...at least Amdro or the
like. Probably be worth the $$ to get a professional treatment done
where they can use something more long-term stable (since Chlordane and
its relatives aren't available OTC any longer)...

--

Living in PRNY, we get carpenter ants, but not the tiny
vicious assault fire ants. My friend from SC says that
the pros can get chemicals that are not available to
ordinary Joes. Which is likely good, they would be
over used.

When I lived in Florida, I was doing yard work around the condo. I
knelt down on a fire ant nest....they are very stealthy and can be all
over you before they bite.....thYes, sounds like the moment I had in SC,
they were all over the poor guy's feet and ankles. He was wearing open
sandals, and the both of us spent time brushing them off. I had work
shoes and wool socks, they didn't seen as much interested in me.en they
bit! Man! I was up and
brushing off fire ants from my thighs as fast as I could. Probably
didn't take 10 sec. to get most of them off, but still had over 100 bites.

One time I was in SC, and the fellow I was helping did
step on a fire ant nest. I was amazed how small they
are, compared to fire ants. But they were wicked, and
he was suffering from the bites for a couple days.

-
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
.



--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Oren" wrote in message
...

I grew up in Lee County. Grandfather called 'em "**** ants", because
they bite the **** out of you! He'd pour gas, allow a few moments
and light the mound to burn them.


My grandmother called the large red and black ants '**** ants'. Not sure
why she called then that, but there are ants that do have that kind of smell
to them.

On top of a small hill near me there is a building with some radio
equipment I and several others keep up. A few years ago the fire ants moved
in. There is usually 5 to 10 mounds of them in an area about 400 feet each
way. We put out some stuff (don't recall the name) for them to take back to
the mound and it kills off the queen. It looks sort of like brown sawdust.
Just spread about a cup full around the mound. The next week when we go
back, those mounds are inactive. We test them by poking with a long stick.
If the ants don't come out in a few seconds, we think the mound is inactive.



---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com

On 12/3/2014 12:41 PM, Oren wrote:
On Wed, 03 Dec 2014 12:22:29 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

When I lived in Florida, I was doing yard work around the condo. I
knelt down on a fire ant nest....they are very stealthy and can be all
over you before they bite.....then they bit! Man! I was up and
brushing off fire ants from my thighs as fast as I could. Probably
didn't take 10 sec. to get most of them off, but still had over 100 bites.

... Ah feel your pain. Mowing the lawn, NOT seeing the mound, on the
return cut there will be more ants ready to attack ... BTDT.

Jump in the lake or cool your legs with a water hose, rubbing them off
as fast as you can. White vinegar will take out much of the sting.

Like trying to rub a knot off your head after bumping it, falling out
of a tree really fast. Fire ants can make you dance


I did quite a bit of nature photography in Florida and my tripod was
like a divining stick.....standing on a f.a. mound every time 'til I
trained myself to LOOK FIRST )

On Thu, 04 Dec 2014 07:26:22 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

On 12/3/2014 12:41 PM, Oren wrote:
On Wed, 03 Dec 2014 12:22:29 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

When I lived in Florida, I was doing yard work around the condo. I
knelt down on a fire ant nest....they are very stealthy and can be all
over you before they bite.....then they bit! Man! I was up and
brushing off fire ants from my thighs as fast as I could. Probably
didn't take 10 sec. to get most of them off, but still had over 100 bites.

... Ah feel your pain. Mowing the lawn, NOT seeing the mound, on the
return cut there will be more ants ready to attack ... BTDT.

Jump in the lake or cool your legs with a water hose, rubbing them off
as fast as you can. White vinegar will take out much of the sting.

Like trying to rub a knot off your head after bumping it, falling out
of a tree really fast. Fire ants can make you dance


I did quite a bit of nature photography in Florida and my tripod was
like a divining stick.....standing on a f.a. mound every time 'til I
trained myself to LOOK FIRST )

I'm a Florida swamp billy. Can you post a couple of links to your
photos? I'd be interested. gfretwell posted a photo of black bears ...

Orchids? Native Maple trees? Yep, the Everglades do have seasons.

On 12/4/2014 2:10 PM, Oren wrote:
On Thu, 04 Dec 2014 07:26:22 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

On 12/3/2014 12:41 PM, Oren wrote:
On Wed, 03 Dec 2014 12:22:29 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

When I lived in Florida, I was doing yard work around the condo. I
knelt down on a fire ant nest....they are very stealthy and can be all
over you before they bite.....then they bit! Man! I was up and
brushing off fire ants from my thighs as fast as I could. Probably
didn't take 10 sec. to get most of them off, but still had over 100 bites.

... Ah feel your pain. Mowing the lawn, NOT seeing the mound, on the
return cut there will be more ants ready to attack ... BTDT.

Jump in the lake or cool your legs with a water hose, rubbing them off
as fast as you can. White vinegar will take out much of the sting.

Like trying to rub a knot off your head after bumping it, falling out
of a tree really fast. Fire ants can make you dance


I did quite a bit of nature photography in Florida and my tripod was
like a divining stick.....standing on a f.a. mound every time 'til I
trained myself to LOOK FIRST )

I'm a Florida swamp billy. Can you post a couple of links to your
photos? I'd be interested. gfretwell posted a photo of black bears ...

Orchids? Native Maple trees? Yep, the Everglades do have seasons.


They're packed away somewhere....I liked mushrooms fungi ferns, spider
webs birds. I really tried to do closeups of woods stuff with film
camera but could never get perfect focus; got Nicon now, just for my koi
pond and lily pads. Damn phone does almost as well )

On Thu, 04 Dec 2014 22:18:42 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:10:18 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Thu, 04 Dec 2014 07:26:22 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

On 12/3/2014 12:41 PM, Oren wrote:
On Wed, 03 Dec 2014 12:22:29 -0500, Norminn
wrote:

When I lived in Florida, I was doing yard work around the condo. I
knelt down on a fire ant nest....they are very stealthy and can be all
over you before they bite.....then they bit! Man! I was up and
brushing off fire ants from my thighs as fast as I could. Probably
didn't take 10 sec. to get most of them off, but still had over 100 bites.

... Ah feel your pain. Mowing the lawn, NOT seeing the mound, on the
return cut there will be more ants ready to attack ... BTDT.

Jump in the lake or cool your legs with a water hose, rubbing them off
as fast as you can. White vinegar will take out much of the sting.

Like trying to rub a knot off your head after bumping it, falling out
of a tree really fast. Fire ants can make you dance


I did quite a bit of nature photography in Florida and my tripod was
like a divining stick.....standing on a f.a. mound every time 'til I
trained myself to LOOK FIRST )

I'm a Florida swamp billy. Can you post a couple of links to your
photos? I'd be interested. gfretwell posted a photo of black bears ...

Orchids? Native Maple trees? Yep, the Everglades do have seasons.

You probably saw the picture of the 2 in the Corkscrew,


I did. Corkscrew had herds of deer and hogs. along with all the other
beauty. Nearby, or in Corkscrew was a place called "pole crossing".
Cypress logs across flooded streams. A road to moonshine stills,
driven on by Model-T-Fords

Did youk see these?

http://gfretwell.com/wildlife/White%...%20cub%202.jpg
http://gfretwell.com/wildlife/White%...bear%20cub.jpg

Fairly unusual.

Nice. Thank you.

There are a bunch of wildlife pictures on that site, most I shot
locally here but a few I have collected from my son in law from FWC
and SFWMD
Most of the snakes were in my screen cage.

I'll look some more at your photos.