jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Apr 28, 2016 4:14:36 GMT -5
Oh crap, I missed the post above showing the Amdro bottle (I think for some reason the browser on the work computer wasn't showing the image). I'm kinda so-so on it...never really has done good for me, it'd slow'em down some but had to keep feeding them. I found about 20 bottles of it on sale at Lowes one day...something like a buck a bottle...labels were all falling off, etc., from being in the "garden" department. I figured what the hey...it helped, but still they marched on...maybe it had been through a heat or something...could've been too old but there again I've bought a few shiney labled boxes, too. The thing about it is that you've gotta do something or they'll take over the place. Maybe it lost it's pep Ed. Then again, fire ants have a much more aggressive nature in hot enviro like your zone. Open timbered areas in Florida upland pine stands have highest density of mounds ever. The water table is often 18 inches below surface at Florida camp which keeps them and gopher turtles away. They are darn good at finding south facing slopes here to get max heat grab. Coming out of the ground and up into the mound on the coldest days. The larger Allegheny Ant has taken residence up here on the farm. From all considerations so far, it is a beneficial insect. It is the first insect I have noticed that completely eliminates their presence. Fat toads and fence lizards sit in the Allegheny's travel path and gorge on them. Lazy fat suckers basically spoon fed LOL. Guessing I could raise Horned Lizard's by the thousands. They love ants too. Been thinking about buying some in and setting up a large movable enclosure. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,602
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Post by jamesp on Apr 28, 2016 4:22:18 GMT -5
Maybe Half and Half is an option rockpickerforever. I switched to it and noticed weight gain LOL, no win. Ever had your dogs get into Coffeemate ? Bad day, plasticized crap all over the floor and wherever they walk. |
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910 
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 28, 2016 7:34:41 GMT -5
Oh crap, I missed the post above showing the Amdro bottle (I think for some reason the browser on the work computer wasn't showing the image). I'm kinda so-so on it...never really has done good for me, it'd slow'em down some but had to keep feeding them. I found about 20 bottles of it on sale at Lowes one day...something like a buck a bottle...labels were all falling off, etc., from being in the "garden" department. I figured what the hey...it helped, but still they marched on...maybe it had been through a heat or something...could've been too old but there again I've bought a few shiney labled boxes, too. The thing about it is that you've gotta do something or they'll take over the place. Maybe it lost it's pep Ed. Then again, fire ants have a much more aggressive nature in hot enviro like your zone. Open timbered areas in Florida upland pine stands have highest density of mounds ever. The water table is often 18 inches below surface at Florida camp which keeps them and gopher turtles away. They are darn good at finding south facing slopes here to get max heat grab. Coming out of the ground and up into the mound on the coldest days. The larger Allegheny Ant has taken residence up here on the farm. From all considerations so far, it is a beneficial insect. It is the first insect I have noticed that completely eliminates their presence. Fat toads and fence lizards sit in the Allegheny's travel path and gorge on them. Lazy fat suckers basically spoon fed LOL. Guessing I could raise Horned Lizard's by the thousands. They love ants too. Been thinking about buying some in and setting up a large movable enclosure. It might have been weakened, smelled about like the new stuff, but who knows. I'll be the first to attest to the fact that fire ants here in south Alabama are some p.o.'d aggressive creatures...killing machines. High water table certainly limits their ability to hide...I'm sitting at 420' here with our deep clay soil...lots of red-colored ant hills. Years ago in a kinder, gentler nation<grin>, I tried the ol' boiling water and hot pepper drench. I managed to get about 3 gallons of water boiling with a heavy dose of some type of pepper thrown in. Carefully walked it out to a nice and large mound and slowly poured it on top of the mound. As I poured the water disappeared into the ground until all the water in the pot was emptied. I paused for maybe ten seconds or so and then heard a gurgling sound of water!!!!! The network of tunnels were DEEP...far deeper than the aluminum sculpture would indicate! Amazing!!!! Later that day I checked on the mound and found a large pile of dead ants surrounding the perimeter of the mound...thousands of them. By the next morning that pile had grown immensely...probably 10's (100's?) of thousands of dead ants piled around the mound. This gave me some good information...that their was a heck'uva lot of ants in that mound to start with, that there was still a heck'uva lot of ants in that mound, and that the boiling water trick really wasn't a successful treatment method (for the ants in my local, anyhow). So far I've failed to find anything biological that kills them. Fence lizards, interesting but we really never had many until several years ago...arrived about the time some small ants started trying/succeeding to invade the house.<groan> And yeah, they're big and fat...and leave their crap scattered around the back porch. |
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 28, 2016 15:55:03 GMT -5
I use Amdro all the time and as long as it's fresh it works well. The carrier/bait may be corn based and may go rancid and be less attractive or effective. It sometimes takes a couple of applications but mostly kills the nest in one...Mel
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2016 19:08:11 GMT -5
I use Amdro all the time and as long as it's fresh it works well. The carrier/bait may be corn based and may go rancid and be less attractive or effective. It sometimes takes a couple of applications but mostly kills the nest in one...Mel Years ago it was "crystals". Was the rock candy with formicide in it? |
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Post by orrum on Apr 29, 2016 8:33:45 GMT -5
Only guaranteed fire ant killer is....
Take two 6 inch 2x4 blocks, place ant on block, smash other block on ant, repeat as many times as necessary !!! It works wonderfully and it is cheap!!! ROFLMAO
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geezer
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2016
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Post by geezer on Apr 29, 2016 8:43:04 GMT -5
Only guaranteed fire ant killer is.... Take two 6 inch 2x4 blocks, place ant on block, smash other block on ant, repeat as many times as necessary !!! It works wonderfully and it is cheap!!! ROFLMAO This works fine except for the other 50,000 fire ants going up my pants legs while I'm smashing that one! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2016 9:10:29 GMT -5
Only guaranteed fire ant killer is.... Take two 6 inch 2x4 blocks, place ant on block, smash other block on ant, repeat as many times as necessary !!! It works wonderfully and it is cheap!!! ROFLMAO This works fine except for the other 50,000 fire ants going up my pants legs while I'm smashing that one! Only 50,000? musta been a small colony! I watched a dude get attacked at a roadside pullout. In a millisecond he dove into the ditch and had stripped naked. Spent ten minutes making sure he was clear. Took his wallet and keys, left pants, shoes and socks in the ditch. Drove back to hotel in wet t-shirt and chonies. Had to go to walmart barefoot to get new shoes. |
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 29, 2016 17:44:48 GMT -5
Scott, people who've never experienced fire ants have no idea what this guy was dealing with...they are evil. If nothing is done to remove/kill them I guess they would stay there and keep stinging till they died of old age...or the victim dies.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2016 18:10:27 GMT -5
Scott, people who've never experienced fire ants have no idea what this guy was dealing with...they are evil. If nothing is done to remove/kill them I guess they would stay there and keep stinging till they died of old age...or the victim dies. I have had a very "few" stings. That was enough to open my eyes. My buddy was on his first Florida trip and well pulled off to look for reptiles of some such. I said "those mounds are fire ants, be careful. He stepped from the car and two steps later stopped with one foot on a mound. Poor guy... Lol. I warned him. I guess if I could hate. It would be fire ants. They are a special form of ugly. I have seen others dive into a lake in Alabama for the same reason. |
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 29, 2016 18:12:44 GMT -5
I wouldn't think badly of you if you did, Scott. They're worthy of being hated.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2016 18:14:47 GMT -5
Truthfully, they are just doing their job. Hard to hate something for its nature.
You might say "God made them that way". I can't disagree.
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 29, 2016 19:31:09 GMT -5
Truthfully, they are just doing their job. Hard to hate something for its nature. You might say "God made them that way". I can't disagree. <chuckle> You are very right, Scott, on both counts.  |
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 29, 2016 19:53:47 GMT -5
Scott, the bait portion of Amdro is corn grit and soybean oil which fire ants do see as candy.
And yes folks, getting stung up real good by fire ants is an experience you do not want to have often. They hold with their mandibles and sting over and over again and the pheromone which triggers stings tends too make them all start to sting at once, often abut the time they've climbed your leg to your groin region. Toxin destroys a lot of tissue so the bumps are really nasty and easily infected and they can itch like fire for days sometimes. I really love it when I hit a mound with my weedeater and the string throws super pissed off ants all up against my legs. That can spoil your whole week....Mel
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 29, 2016 20:48:15 GMT -5
Talking about bait, well, something that attracts the ants but maybe not a poison. I ate a can of Wild Planet sardines at work and threw the empty tin in the garbage can...didn't think anything of it. About an our later I walked by and saw a line of ants marching along the top edge of the garbage can. Peering down into it the sardine can was black with ants (these weren't fire ants)with a thick line snaking through the trash to get to the can. Pacific sardines in extra virgin olive oil. I'd find some poison to mix with a tin of them but I'd hate to not eat the sardines.  |
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on May 1, 2016 12:23:18 GMT -5
What blows my mind is their trigger to sting. Takes very little movement or disturbance. Must be one of nature's most ornery critters. Minimal provocation. Irrational, lol. Sting first, question later. Distasteful, but the stings leave puss pockets under your skin. Damaged flesh no doubt. Folks with soft skin left with fairly long term scars. Typical encounter on a man's skin  Typical to a child, histamines inflamed, in need of Benadryl and medical attention  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2016 9:49:07 GMT -5
Talking about bait, well, something that attracts the ants but maybe not a poison. I ate a can of Wild Planet sardines at work and threw the empty tin in the garbage can...didn't think anything of it. About an our later I walked by and saw a line of ants marching along the top edge of the garbage can. Peering down into it the sardine can was black with ants (these weren't fire ants)with a thick line snaking through the trash to get to the can. Pacific sardines in extra virgin olive oil. I'd find some poison to mix with a tin of them but I'd hate to not eat the sardines. I don't remember the ant type but we mixed boric acid into liquid lard. Let lard cool and placed near colony. Took a week but it kiled the colony. |
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jamesp
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Posts: 36,602
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Post by jamesp on May 3, 2016 10:57:39 GMT -5
Anything goes terminating fire ants. Open season. Doubt you will have liberals marching, claiming cruelty to living things.
They do break up hard clay. Abandoned mounds make for easy soil retrieval.
Taxidermist take their animals/heads and put them on a live mound, cover it with an old metal milk crate.
Cap it with a heavy rock to keep buzzards and possums from disturbing it.
Perfect flesh removal process. Did several coyote skulls myself for my weird wife. Few other animals that were found dead.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2016 11:09:39 GMT -5
Clean the coyote skull for your wierd wife. Bleach in high volume peroxide from the beauty supply, dry for 30 days, then glue colorful rhinestones to cover the bone.
Etsy will eat that up!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,602
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Post by jamesp on May 7, 2016 22:48:09 GMT -5
Anything goes terminating fire ants. Open season. Doubt you will have liberals marching, claiming cruelty to living things. They do break up hard clay. Abandoned mounds make for easy soil retrieval. Taxidermist take their animals/heads and put them on a live mound, cover it with an old metal milk crate. Cap it with a heavy rock to keep buzzards and possums from disturbing it. Perfect flesh removal process. Did several coyote skulls myself for my weird wife. Few other animals that were found dead. I was clearing out a brushy lot on my sisters property in Miami Fla. back in 1974 so we could park cars there for the Miami Dolphins games at the old Orange Bowl. Everything was ok until I stepped in this one spot. Within two seconds those little red bastards ran all the way up to my family jewels and let into me. My god that was the most intense pain from insects I had ever felt......at least until I got stung by a scorpion at work one day. The ants were bad but the scorpion made me literally sick almost to death. I ended up in the hospital because of that. The curio shops in the Florida Keys back then used to sell blown up Puffer fishes that they put on the fire ants colonies where the ants and the sun did all the work. Oh man, a scorpion. Top insect, glad you pulled thru. Must have been a western species, Georgia scorpions do not sting so bad. No telling what crawls around in S Florida LOL Puffer fishes get processed too ? Ultimate meat strippers those little guys. Florida Harvester Ants are not so aggressive but deliver a sting that has a deep pain for days. May vote it most nagging ant/bee sting, can create brutal pain for a whole week. Similar to paper hornet but much longer pain duration. It is a seed collector. Must eat poison seeds Read more: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/74724/angry-fire-ants#ixzz4825O3Bsy |
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