| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| tericee |
Posted - 11/10/2002 : 12:49:49 PM
It RARELY rains in L.A., but for some reason it's been raining for three days. So now all the ants, who apparently like to be dry, are coming into MY HOUSE!!! Friday evening I sprayed them and then Saturday morning, I cleaned up all the little dead ant carcasses. In the afternoon I went to Target and got Combat and Raid "ant motels." My bathroom is now "clean."
This morning, however, I got up and found the KITCHEN overrun with ants. I am not happy!!! Luckily I had some left over motels so I put them all around the kitchen. I hope they start to die soon. Then I'll go mop them up with wet papertowels and hope they don't find another room to attack.
BTW, has anybody else here besides Fluffy and me seen Twilight of the Cockroaches? |
| 29 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| PJK |
Posted - 11/27/2002 : 11:45:02 PM
As someone who HATES bugs that is worse than a horror movie!!!! If that had been me I would have died right then and there!
When I had my practicum at U. of Penn, we were in the old veterinary hospital and a friend got out her lunch and went to eat her sandwich and for some reason decided to lift up the bread and there was a huge cockroach in her sandwich!!!!!Totally grossed me out! Thought that was the worst bug story but yours has that one beat by a long shot, therippa! Yuk! |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 11/27/2002 : 11:41:37 PM
Sharks, cockroaches and ants, OH MY
Sharks, cockroaches and ants, OH MY
Sweet dreams!!! |
| tericee |
Posted - 11/22/2002 : 8:20:44 PM
You're right. That's one of the most disgusting things I've ever read. I hope I don't have nightmares tonight... |
| therippa |
Posted - 11/22/2002 : 1:46:09 PM
Here's a cockroach story that's enough to make anyone sick.
In my hometown my dad works for the utility company. Years back his job was to shut off people's service for non-payment, so most of the houses he went to were poor and disheveled. He went into someone's basement and with every step he took he heard a loud CRUNCH. There were no lights down there, so he tilted his flashlight down towards the ground and realized that THE ENTIRE FLOOR OF THE BASEMENT WAS COVERED IN TWO INCHES OF COCKROACHES. He ended up throwing away his boots that night, because when you step on a roach you can get it's eggs stuck to your shoes, which can then hatch in your own home.
Fucking digusting. |
| Evergreen |
Posted - 11/21/2002 : 2:46:05 PM
I hope you know I'm kidding. You should work the bonus angle
however.
Believe it or not, fresh catnip is one of the best things you can use. There is some controversy as to whether its effective against just german cockroaches or all species. Sprinkled on the perimeter it will supposedly keep them away. It also helps if planted along side other plants in the garden. My friend who is an organic farmer and my food supplier swears by the catnip and marigold/calendula plants in her gardens.
Orange peel extract or more specifically d-Limonene, destroys the roaches respiratory system. Which means it can kill the ones already present if you don't want to just send them off screaming.
You can also use osage oranges(maclura pomifera), also called hedge apples or, get this, monkey balls. These supposedly are extremely effective, but expensive. They dry out because they are fruit so they have to be replaced fairly frequently. There used alot in California on the certified organic farms.
Then there is good old garlic. Garlic spray keeps the roaches and everyone else away. It clogs up spray bottles and equipment but that's about the only draw back.
Hope this helps |
| Evergreen |
Posted - 11/21/2002 : 2:20:15 PM
Are you going to get a bonus or a pay raise if I tell you
and you go in with the idea. If not I might have to charge your company a fee for my information. We could go the monetary route or
possibly work out a trade. |
| enthuTIMsiast |
Posted - 11/21/2002 : 2:05:22 PM
Well, we've got a roach problem in our lab, and since it's GMP, we can't spray...so what are your alternative methods? Maybe we can use some of those. |
| Evergreen |
Posted - 11/21/2002 : 11:57:22 AM
Better than cockroaches in the hotel room. Last time I was in the west indies, I looked down and discovered one 4 or 5 inches long. It was in the bathroom at 3 in the morning in a sleepy state. I woke up fast. I have not had much experience with them ever and this one was extremely ugly. He scurried behind the toilet as I screamed and lept from the toilet to the bed which was a good 8 feet away. I'm told my feet didn't touch the floor. I don't remember since all I could think about was escape. Then to top it all off, we couldn't find him.
Most bugs don't bother me as much as the deadly pesticides we use to kill them do. A big part of my job involves pesticde irradication. I could write a book about why we shouldn't produce it or use it anywhere specifically in our food production when there are safe alternatives but I won't bore you with it. It's just another thing our government and lobbyists are doing and telling us its for our own good.
Support and eat foods from small organic family farms!!!!!!! |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 11/21/2002 : 04:07:45 AM
Yep, it's pretty swank, just me and the antz. HEHE |
| PJK |
Posted - 11/20/2002 : 4:55:37 PM
Amazing ants on the 5th floor....maybe they think it's the penthouse!I am jealous...would love to see the ocean out my window! |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 11/20/2002 : 11:37:15 AM
I seem to have a small ant infestation here in my hotel room in Ft Lauderdale. Beautiful otherwise. 5th floor, ocean view, right next to the beach. There have been some lovely sunrises and sunsets. Show tonite, then a long long drive on a show day tomorrow. UGGGHHHH!! but the shows get progressively easier after that. WHOOO HOOOOOOO!!! |
| tericee |
Posted - 11/17/2002 : 01:42:26 AM
Very interesting. I have learned quite a bit in this thread!
I did, in fact, see a few ants trying to carry away their dead, but there are still several carcasses laying around my kitchen. I think they're too stuck to the counters/walls for their little friends to take them away...
Or maybe, the RAID scent covered their pheromone scent... cool word!
SYLLABICATION:
pher·o·mone
PRONUNCIATION:
http://www.bartleby.com/61/wavs/23/P0242300.wav
NOUN:
A chemical secreted by an animal, especially an insect, that influences the behavior or development of others of the same species, often functioning as an attractant of the opposite sex.
ETYMOLOGY:
Greek pherein, to carry; see bher-1 in Appendix I + (hor)mone.
OTHER FORMS:
phero·monal —ADJECTIVE |
| enthuTIMsiast |
Posted - 11/16/2002 : 01:40:47 AM
pheromone.
A neat test to do is to find one of these trails, and smash one ant somewhere in or near it. Ants far away (oh, I don't know...inches, maybe feet) will scatter. That's the phermone in action. Cool stuff. Another reason ants are one of my top 5 favorite things.
(You got me on the spelling Teri...the website I checked must have just had it wrong...) |
| PJK |
Posted - 11/15/2002 : 11:51:19 PM
Why???? |
| pcbTIM |
Posted - 11/15/2002 : 10:08:15 PM
quote:
Originally posted by therippa
An interesting thing I learned that day is that ants will stop what they're doing to clean up their dead, because when I came home a few hours later, not only were the live ones gone but the dead ones were gone to!
When ants die, they release a pharamone (sp?). When other ants pick up the scent, they take the dead ones to their graveyard. If a live one is sprayed with this scent, the other ants will take him there against his will. In fact, they will continue to take him back even after he returns. |
| therippa |
Posted - 11/15/2002 : 5:46:30 PM
(all of this happened at a place I used to live)
I came home one day to find that ants had navigate a 30-foot path from my patio door to a can of soda in my bathroom trash can with a couple sips left. My solution? I took one of those grill lighters and followed them along their path frying them (I could do this because I had hardwood floors and marble floors in the bathroom). An interesting thing I learned that day is that ants will stop what they're doing to clean up their dead, because when I came home a few hours later, not only were the live ones gone but the dead ones were gone to!
Then, I had another problem with them...you see, whenever I had friends over we would always hang out in my bedroom so all sorts of crumbs and stuff would fall behind the bed. I tried doing everything I could to get rid of them...I cleaned up under the bed, got rid of all the old soda cans in my room, laid traps, but all to no avail. Then one day they were just gone - I had learned to live with them and let it go for so long that they ate EVERYTHING that was under my bed (I think they may have been working on a small dried-up puddle of pepsi I found later...my friends are extremely messy and the reason I can't have nice things).
Anyways...yeah... |
| Jay |
Posted - 11/15/2002 : 5:45:27 PM
NO! Hahaha! NO! hahaha! |
| PJK |
Posted - 11/15/2002 : 5:44:24 PM
Hummmm smoking the happy weed again eh? |
| Jay |
Posted - 11/15/2002 : 5:40:02 PM
Ants are velly fun to pray with. Take the ant and dlown him walter. Ol, Take the ant and stick him on a piece of cray. Watch him move alound and poke him with things. IF you are rucky, he wirr stay arive rong enough fol you too ret him go. |
| tericee |
Posted - 11/14/2002 : 5:53:34 PM
I think I only like animated bugs like those in "Twilight..," "Antz," and "A Bug's Life."
I didn't see "Joe's Apartment" though, since they used actual live roaches for many scenes. That would just gross me out. I wish I had the guts to be a roach wrangler!
Ray Mendez (II) .... roach wrangler
David A. Brody .... assistant roach wrangler (as Dave Brody)
Roaches in the written word is a whole other monster. I haven't read Metamorphosis -- probably because my imagination would make the roach real. |
| enthuTIMsiast |
Posted - 11/13/2002 : 08:19:54 AM
How 'bout Metamorphosis? That's a cockroach story. |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 11/13/2002 : 03:39:39 AM
Twilight of the Cockroaches..... I LOVED THAT MOVIE!!!!
Brief synopsis:
A messy bachelor's apartment is a paradise for the huge colony of cockroaches living there: no sprays, no traps, and plenty of food. When the homeowner's girlfriend moves in, however, the party comes to an abrupt end, and the roaches must quickly adapt to a life of struggling for survival. Combines animation with live actors.
It is shot from the POV of the cockroaches. PRETTY KEWL!!
|
| PJK |
Posted - 11/11/2002 : 02:56:37 AM
You can count on me for a donation....such a worthy cause! |
| tericee |
Posted - 11/11/2002 : 02:20:04 AM
This marathon is for charity too -- AIDS Project Los Angeles.
I guess it's a good thing we have no pets or kids in the house since we're going chemical all the way! |
| PJK |
Posted - 11/11/2002 : 01:26:04 AM
Wow, Vancouver!!!That is sooo great. Is it for a charity or just a reg. marathon? Either way I am soooo impressed! Way to go Teri!
I guess if you have ants, Earl's the man! I know this is mean but I used to turn on my hot water at my sink and get a paper towel soaked with water, wipe up the ants and then put it back in the sink with the hot water on. I didn't want to use pesticides when the kids were small, so I'd "cook" and wash those suckers down the drain!!!! |
| tericee |
Posted - 11/10/2002 : 2:23:27 PM
quote:
Originally posted by enthuTIMsiast
I hate ants too, for the most part. Or at least I hate the "pest" aspect of them. Otherwise I am absolutely fascinated by them. They are extraordinarily interesting creatures, I'm sure you all know.
That's almost exactly what my roommate, Earl, said when he came home from surfing this morning. Like a knight in shining armor (ok, wetsuit), he took on the ants and is making our kitchen useable again.
Even as he killed ants by the dozens, he still lauded their ability to communicate, their strength, and other fascinating abilities. "Just not in my house!" he said.
Maybe next time TIM's in town you guys can meet Earl at a show. Hopefully the guys will come through here before Summer, since that's when I'm due to move. As soon as I find out where I'm going I'll let everyone know.
|
| tericee |
Posted - 11/10/2002 : 2:15:47 PM
quote:
Originally posted by PJK
What marathons are you training for???? If you ever run in Boston,(or New York City) I'd go to cheer you on. Way to go Teri!!!!!!
Last year I did the Honolulu Marathon -- very slowly. This year I'm training for Vancouver. The marathon is the first weekend of May so I have lots of time to prepare! |
| enthuTIMsiast |
Posted - 11/10/2002 : 1:33:29 PM
I can leave anything sugary (like a plate I've just eaten waffles on) beside my sink for one hour and it will have ants. I hate it. I will say, however, that it does motivate me to keep my dishes washed. Honestly, that's often the reason I do it. But I hate ants too, for the most part. Or at least I hate the "pest" aspect of them. Otherwise I am absolutely fascinated by them. They are extraordinarily interesting creatures, I'm sure you all know. |
| PJK |
Posted - 11/10/2002 : 1:12:56 PM
I used to work for the company that made combat. It is highly effective but you can't kill the ants because it works by having the ants take the bait back to the nest where it hopefully kills them all.
I hate ants too.Every spring I would end up with a swarm of citronella ants in my kitchen by the sliding doors. We ended up having to treat for termites and that killed all the ants too.....thank goodness!
Good luck with your ant problem.
Also I am impressed that you are running so much. What marathons are you training for???? If you ever run in Boston,(or New York City) I'd go to cheer you on. Way to go Teri!!!!!! |
