What's bugging us? (Pun intended)

[Kimberly54]

Hi all,

Summer is upon us!  What do you all do about bugs in your house?

Don't get me wrong, I TOTALLY understand.  If I were a guest and saw bugs in the house, this might not be a good thing.  

Once upon a time, my husband and I spent the night in a small cottage--very well cleaned--and not occupied for some months.  A little family of spiders had moved in, and in the night, one crawled into my ear.  

OK, it is impossible to prevent this kind of thing 100% of the time... AND bugs inside the house are just gross and disgusting.  Right? 

Right now, in San Diego, I am battling with an army of ants, and I can not use poison... unless I am very careful.  The commercial traps don't work.  I've tried boric acid/water/sugar (very good poison, but they are back for more!), sweeping them out is pretty good, but again--hey! It's HOT outside! They just want to come in!

I dunno.  Any really good tips out there?

Best,

[Mark26]

It's approved for use in barns, while livestock is present.  If sprayed in liquid form where bees are not present (plants that are not in bloom, or late in the day) it does not present a danger to bees. When used in a granular form, it can be applied to the soil and leaf litter below shrubbery in bloom while bees are foraging without posing a hazard. 

The hazard to fish would come into play if Kimberly has a pond with fish in her yard, and was spraying or spreading granular forms in areas where drift could come in contact with the body of water.  I don't know how well you know San Diego, but  I'm not aware of too many places where there are waterways that support aquatic life.  Couple that with the annual rainfall in her area, and the potential for runoff contaminating a waterway of any form is negligible. 

I grew up in San Diego, and lived there for 47 years.  I suspect she is dealing with Argentinean Ants.  Those are prolific little beasts.  All of Southern California, up into the San Joaquin valley is one giant Argentinean Ant Colony.  She needs serious tools to combat a serious problem.  Home Made Boric Acid Solutions are not going to cut it.

She can call a pest control company, or she can do it herself.  Any woman who can poke a rattler on her doorstep without a stick is capable of safely applying a Bifenthrin Barrier around her home. 

[Kimberly54]

Hi @Mark26, thank you so much for the lead on the ants.  I will look into this tomorrow morning.

Breaking ground for the Swan Pond tomorrow--and Salome, my small swan (and five chickies) should be doing this duty, ya know???   What's wrong with birds these days?

Oh, and for fish?  NO.  They would last as long as you could laugh or gasp for 5 minutes.  There will be no fish.  Appitizers.  I really don't know how a snake got on property because these girls are... JURASSIC PARK.  Great with kids, love attention, and come running when I walk outside, but anything else is fair game.  

I'm happy to deal with the ants and so grateful for your help, but the freaking snake? Need to have a conference with the birds... TOMORROW. (and wearing boots.)

Best,

[Kimberly54]

Hi @Mark26 and all, just an update... oh MANNNNN,  it won't let me insert the photo!  I got the snake with a shovel this morning.  18" (not huge).  It was in the same place it was last night, so the 'hunting' was easy.  I snipped off the rattle as a little trophy (never killed a snake before), the head is in the trash, and I'm leaving the body for the chickens and my goose.  It will not last long, and I want them to know what a SNAKE is, and that, like lizards, they are just as yummy!  (To a chicken... oh, and snake does NOT taste like chicken.)OK!  So from the Amazon jungles of San Diego, signing off!Best & be safe,

[Helen427]

@Kimberly54 @Sophia-and-Matt0 @Sarah977 @Lizzie @Mariann4 

How about sleeping in a Snakes belly?

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/mexico-airbnb-rental-belly-snake

Or having a snake coming up through the toilet?
https://abc13.com/pets-animals/snake-found-in-toilet-at-houston-area-airbnb/5541053/

[Lizzie]

Oo @Helen427, this discussion is a blast from the past! 🙂

I don't think this is on the same scale as a snake, but I did find the most ginormous spider (well to me it was BIG)  in my washing basket the other day.  I managed to collect it up and put it out the front door....and I live to tell the tale! hehe

I hope you haven't found any unexpected bugs in you home recently.

[Helen427]

yes isn't it @Lizzie  and thanks very much to @Kimberly54  for starting this fun topic.

I have had a couple of slugs pop up with all the wet weather we have had sneak into my place. Thankfully they were when I had no paying guests from ABB, alas perhaps they are via ABB and free of charge to Nurture with Nature!!

They were promptly picked up and placed outside.

Did you know they are full of teeth?

I had a read about them online what purpose they fulfill in our lives, they also have a very hard to see home on there back!!

@Kimberly54have the snakes been back?
Haven't seen you in here for a little bit.

How's the chickens and ants?

[Kimberly54]

Hi @Sarah977--sheesh, this is stuff you can't post to the general public: And I thought I had an ANT problem??

Swear, this little guy was all snakey-sprawled out in front of the door I was about to enter.  It was dark, but there was an interior light on.  I'm thinking, 'is that a snake?'  WTF??? I have chickens who eat lizards and mice alive! ??   And an adorable vicious/murderous goose-- what would a snake be doing here?  Is it alive?  So, like an idiot, I touch it, and it coils.  Hummmm.... 

Really, if it's a gardener snake or a bull snake, that's ok, right?  Big sigh.  NO.  The only good snake is a dead snake.  I'm going to stick to that one in the future, and let them sort themselves out in Snake Heaven, along with all of the ants I have murdered--without poision.

I emailed my mom (big gardener) and my neighbor with this picture.

Neighbor:  "Rattler.  Get a shovel and dispatch it."

Too late.  Snake has fled.  (Snake is not gone... I really need to find it and solve this tomorrow.)

Shovel is ready, I will be out with boots on tomorrow morning.  And I thought I had a problem with ants?

Oh my....

Okay...

[Rebecca160]

@Kimberly54I also recommend that you download the free SnakeBite911 app for your phone. It helps with viper identification, what to do if bite and where the nearest emergency room is that has the anti-venin needed.  It is super useful, plus there is a more detailed  app for First Responders and even more detailed app for Emergency Rooms.  

Oh, I discovered that not all Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes have the same type of venom. Some have a particularly nasty neurotoxic venom.  And the anti-venin used is not great at treating this type of bite.  😞 

Be careful!

[Sarah977]

@Kimberly54  OMG- while I am not the least bit frightened of any insect, I am totally creeped out and terrified of snakes. I've had to deal with a few of them so far, and even though none were poisonous, I can tell you, my heart was pounding and I was thinking "Where are the men when you actually need them?" If my 16 year old grandson had been around, he'd have just picked them up by the back of the neck and disposed of them. (Not to say there aren't women who wouldn't be afraid to pick them up, nor men who'd also be terrified, though I find men tend more towards spider phobias)

I don't know much about snake identification, but I do recognize that one has the classic wedge-shaped head typical to poisonous vipers. 

See, you've forgotten all about the ants.

Good luck tracking the guy, and BE CAREFUL. They can strike from farther away than you'd think- I'm not sure the shovel idea is a great one. Maybe call wildlife control?

[Kimberly54]

Hi @Sarah977, oh yes, I have WAY SCALED DOWN my ant-annoyance!

I'm not really 'afraid' of snakes, it's just that I don't know what I'm doing, and the risk involved is too much.

Ants are much easier.

I will be VERY CAREFUL until I 'dispatch' this guy... hopefully tomorrow. 

Really hate doing this kind of thing, but if they are on your property, they think it's their 'turf.'  Gotta choose again, dude, in another life.  This absolutely has to happen.  

Best,

[Helen427]

Oh me oh my, how many of us were never bothered by these so called 'pests' as kids growing up?

My gosh we adults need realty checks that all creatures great & small are here on this earth we live on for a reason.

What do these innocent wee creatures think of us big bad pest predators as they look up at us?

Think about it next time we are all encountered with the marvelous blessing of seeing them and how they view us through their eyes and lives..

Food for thought folks..

[Sarah977]

@Helen427  I quite agree. I am totally fascinated by insect life and have spent many hours observing them and marvelling at the amazing diversity. In the summer rainy season here, there can be literally 50 completely different insects in a 2 foot radius on the outside wall, in thrall to the electric light. We must look SO terrifying to them- imagine being faced with a creature about 5000 times bigger than you.

How about this one-I call it the Darth Vader moth.

[Kimberly54]

@Helen427, I COMPLETELY get this, and it is good food for thought, indeed!

We just need to make agreements.  Me and the ants.

THIS is my home; they can have a field-day out here.  Seriously.  But inside?  NO.  And I can't use poision.   

I really appreciate what ants do for my soil.  It's huge! Opening up the soil, eating up stuff the others don't, probably some great poop... I do NOT take this for granted.  They just can't share the inside of my home.  

Gotta draw some boundaries.

Best,

[Mariann4]

Just a "natural" poison tip on your ants @Kimberly54.

It was discovered  at random that artificial sweetned lemonade/juice (the ones with Aspartam have been researched) kills the ants. So it is now a popular use for taking out ants here. You have to find the base of the anthill though, or if you know they are between the flagstones of your yard if you have any, and pour it in. Can be diluted very thin and still affect the ants. The rest of the lemonade you kan have yourself 🙂 Win-win 🙂

Mariann 🙂

[Kimberly54]

@Mariann4, I am at the store tomorrow!  I don't have an 'anthill,' but do have some target areas, and this stuff (I will not drink) will not hurt my others!

Thank you!  I will definitely report back!

Best,