John Schmidt
Member
Posts: 15282
a/k/a Stuffy. '99 I/S Valk Roadsmith Trike
De Pere, WI (Green Bay)
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« on: June 12, 2011, 09:04:05 AM » |
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For those not familiar with them, they're tiny little suckers with a bite that stings like fire(hence the name) and within hours festers up and itches like crazy. The back of our house fronts on the 7th fairway of a golf course, and we have some groupings of pygmy date palms separating our property from the golf course. It's a bit of a reminder to the golfers they're on private property and need to move the ball farther away. I don't want to see a divot of my grass go flying skyward. Yesterday, in an attempt to add some color to the landscape I was planting some flowers in back behind the pool and around those palms, and unknowingly(for about five seconds) kneeled onto an ant hill. Must have been a new one because there was no evidence of a hill just yet...but I found it. The inside of my left knee was solid black when I stood up to brush them off. You should see it this morning, looks like it got hit with shotgun pellets. Ugly seems to be an understatement, can't stand to wear long pants, and every time I moved in my sleep it woke me up. There are some things in God's creations that I have a problem figuring out what possible good has ever come of it. Fire ants, mosquitos, various forms of vermin are near the top of the list.
I'm just glad I was kneeling this time. In the past, when planting small stuff I would sit on the ground. I can see it now...."honey, would you come put some more of this lotion on my butt?" Good luck with that one.....
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tank_post142
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« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2011, 09:21:40 AM » |
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i've had great success with a white vinegar soaked rag applied to the bites
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I got a rock  VRCCDS0246  |
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JOCK3
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« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2011, 09:28:08 AM » |
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i guess living in the UK has its good points,we have no fire ants
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Matt
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Serk
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« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2011, 09:34:13 AM » |
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i guess living in the UK has its good points,we have no fire ants
Want me to bring ya' some?  |
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away...  IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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Stanley Steamer
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« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2011, 09:43:03 AM » |
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Stanley "Steamer" "Ride Hard or Stay Home" ![](http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/weathersticker/gizmotimetempbig/language/www/US/GA/Athens.gif" alt="Click for Athens, Georgia Forecast" border="0" height="40" width="467") |
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Gear Jammer
Member
Posts: 3074
Yeah,,,,,It's a HEMI
Magnolia, Texas
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« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2011, 09:45:42 AM » |
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 "The problems we face today exist because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living. |
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Stanley Steamer
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« Reply #6 on: June 12, 2011, 09:48:41 AM » |
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I was too busy beating the little "bastages" off of me to take pics.....but I think they are what made me realize I could "dance".....  |
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Stanley "Steamer" "Ride Hard or Stay Home" |
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X Ring
Member
Posts: 3626
VRCC #27389, VRCCDS #204
The Landmass Between Mobile And New Orleans
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« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2011, 10:25:54 AM » |
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For those not familiar with them, they're tiny little suckers with a bite that stings like fire(hence the name) and within hours festers up and itches like crazy. The back of our house fronts on the 7th fairway of a golf course, and we have some groupings of pygmy date palms separating our property from the golf course. It's a bit of a reminder to the golfers they're on private property and need to move the ball farther away. I don't want to see a divot of my grass go flying skyward. Yesterday, in an attempt to add some color to the landscape I was planting some flowers in back behind the pool and around those palms, and unknowingly(for about five seconds) kneeled onto an ant hill. Must have been a new one because there was no evidence of a hill just yet...but I found it. The inside of my left knee was solid black when I stood up to brush them off. You should see it this morning, looks like it got hit with shotgun pellets. Ugly seems to be an understatement, can't stand to wear long pants, and every time I moved in my sleep it woke me up. There are some things in God's creations that I have a problem figuring out what possible good has ever come of it. Fire ants, mosquitos, various forms of vermin are near the top of the list.
I'm just glad I was kneeling this time. In the past, when planting small stuff I would sit on the ground. I can see it now...."honey, would you come put some more of this lotion on my butt?" Good luck with that one.....
WOW!! You must be sensitive to them. Having been raised in the South, I developed an immunity to them growing up. Yes, their bites sting but that is all. After a while the only evidence of their bites is a little puss sack. I pop it and go on my way. Marty |
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People are more passionately opposed to wearing fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than bikers.  |
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Bonzo
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« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2011, 10:27:46 AM » |
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Does Borax ( 20 Mule Team?) chase them away?
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Woops, I'm sorry.
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Jess Tolbirt
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« Reply #9 on: June 12, 2011, 10:30:09 AM » |
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Hey X-ring,,,did you notice all of his post?
he lives next to the 7th Fairway,,,also he was back behind the pool? that right there should have told you that he is probably immune to nothing,,,,all that money, he probably has someone pop his puss pockets for him,,,,
Hey John I am just Kiddin here,,,but like Joe says,, hard to hide money,,,
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Jess Tolbirt
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« Reply #10 on: June 12, 2011, 10:30:57 AM » |
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Does Borax ( 20 Mule Team?) chase them away?
pour a cup of gas right down the middle of the hill and they will die off within a day,,, |
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John Schmidt
Member
Posts: 15282
a/k/a Stuffy. '99 I/S Valk Roadsmith Trike
De Pere, WI (Green Bay)
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« Reply #11 on: June 12, 2011, 10:31:47 AM » |
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Poor Sir Lancelot He gets ants in his pants alot So like Stanley Steamer It causes him to dance alot. My apologies to all you budding poets out there, just couldn't resist. I did try and do that without generating any mental images, I've suffered enough. The rest of you are on your own.  |
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Lyn-Del
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« Reply #12 on: June 12, 2011, 10:39:55 AM » |
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I'll second the white vinegar ... I keep a gallon bottle on the back porch for that reason. Wizard has taken to carrying a container of Bengal's Fire Ant Killer and touring the yard and powdering every mound he can find. Finally, we're finding a lot less mounds.
Keep in mind that in the heat of the summer, especially if it's dry, they really don't have a "mound", but live underground. When it rains, mounds will pop up fast. When they're underground it's far to easy to accidentally sit or kneel in dangerous place!
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 If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed. ― Benjamin Franklin |
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John Schmidt
Member
Posts: 15282
a/k/a Stuffy. '99 I/S Valk Roadsmith Trike
De Pere, WI (Green Bay)
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« Reply #13 on: June 12, 2011, 10:46:26 AM » |
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Hey Marty, if I had money there would be more than one Valk in the garage. I've been on that "fixed income" thing for a number of years now so I know it isn't going to grow. As for immunity, I'm pretty much the same. Over 100 bites mostly within a 4" circle, cleaned most of it up this morning so now just looks ugly. Found out long ago they feel better once "operated on" and doused with vinegar. I put some cortisone anti-itch lotion on and other than being a little raw....no real problem. Other than the images, I would love to have been a fly on the wall when Steamer was dancing the jig. As for being located on a golf course, the house was bought new in 1980 for a lot less than what they go for today. I couldn't begin to afford it today....even in our depressed market. They're still going for close to four times what it cost new. If the market ever comes back a fair amount, we want to sell and get something smaller. A 30 yr. old house now needs some repairs and I don't feel like making large investments for upgrading. WHOOPS....guess that was Jess re. the money thing. |
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« Last Edit: June 12, 2011, 10:48:10 AM by John Schmidt »
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Stanley Steamer
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« Reply #14 on: June 12, 2011, 11:02:52 AM » |
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Stanley "Steamer" "Ride Hard or Stay Home" |
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X Ring
Member
Posts: 3626
VRCC #27389, VRCCDS #204
The Landmass Between Mobile And New Orleans
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« Reply #15 on: June 12, 2011, 11:13:43 AM » |
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Other than the images, I would love to have been a fly on the wall when Steamer was dancing the jig. No you wouldn't. If you had you would be doing this:  Oh, and I did catch the reference to living on the fairway in Florida no less. Fixed income my  , that takes money! Marty |
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People are more passionately opposed to wearing fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than bikers. |
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3fan4life
Member
Posts: 6986
Any day that you ride is a good day!
Moneta, VA
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« Reply #16 on: June 12, 2011, 01:19:33 PM » |
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I'll bet that the guys at the Fire house are still laughing about that one.  |
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1 Corinthians 1:18  |
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John Schmidt
Member
Posts: 15282
a/k/a Stuffy. '99 I/S Valk Roadsmith Trike
De Pere, WI (Green Bay)
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« Reply #17 on: June 12, 2011, 02:28:02 PM » |
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Other than the images, I would love to have been a fly on the wall when Steamer was dancing the jig. No you wouldn't. If you had you would be doing this: Oh, and I did catch the reference to living on the fairway in Florida no less. Fixed income my , that takes money! Marty Marty, love the cheese grater. Re. living here takes money...not so much extra actually. The RE taxes are a bit higher is all, thankfully no Homeowner Assoc. we're required to belong to. The nice thing about our street is it's not a through street per se. It goes in a big circle(about 1.9 mi.) off a through street so the traffic is pretty much limited to residents and visitors, plus those that get lost. I love the area, all the oaks are mature and create a canopy over most of the street. There's one area that lost a large number of trees in 2004 when we got hit with a couple hurricanes. As for the golf course, across the fairway is a five acre wooded area and I often go out back and practice driving balls into it. Beyond the woods is a six lane highway, I waiting for a screeching of tires one day....that means I got a heck of a drive, at least 400 yards. You know that's gonna happen!!! |
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Piper
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« Reply #18 on: June 12, 2011, 04:15:14 PM » |
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Fireants are evil little aberations of nature, one of very few things I do not miss about Texas. Colorado does not have them, at least where I live.
The Massina Hof winery outside of Bryan Texas encourages them. They eat other bugs.
However it can cause issues during their annual Grape Stomp Harvest Festival.
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~ / And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune
0/// Then the piper will lead us to reason
<|o> And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
/_\ And the forest will echo with laughter
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ricoman
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« Reply #19 on: June 12, 2011, 04:40:19 PM » |
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Immediately after being bitten, spray the bites with WD-40. You are working in the yard for pete's sake, who cares what you smell like.
The bite will not fester. Trust me on this, been doing it for 10 years and it does work.
Read about it somewhere online-some folks call it "red-neck calamine". The one or two that fester are the ones you missed.
Have shared this with survey crews on jobs I used to do-they (like so many, said BS), but they tried it and now a can is on their trucks. So do a lot of lawn crews use it. My wife and all my neighbors use it.
By the way, you are on your own if you sit in the ants! Don't even bother trying to get sympathy.
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take personal responsibility and keep your word
98 Tourer, black and chrome, added 8/11/10
98 Std, yellow/cream, totaled 8/3/10
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musclehead
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« Reply #20 on: June 12, 2011, 05:24:39 PM » |
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gonna feed ya to the FIRE ANTSS!!!!!
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'in the tunnels uptown, the Rats own dream guns him down. the shots echo down them hallways in the night' - the Boss
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RP#62
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« Reply #21 on: June 12, 2011, 05:36:42 PM » |
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When I was a kid, we'd spend summers at Grandma's house in southern Louisiana. Out back on the edge of the sugarcane field, there were some huge fire ant mounds. I don't know who first thought of it, but one of us thought it would be cool to push a firecracker into the mound, wait until they swarmed all over it, then light the fuse. It was cool, up to the point where we realized that it blew fire ants all over us. We'd go running in all directions, arms flailing furiously to get them off. Then we'd go do it again.
-RP
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Big IV
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« Reply #22 on: June 13, 2011, 07:56:04 AM » |
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One thing a mound of fire ants hate is being stood upon. As kids we would dare each other to stand on the mounds to see how long we would last.
I haven't been bitten by a fire ant since I was a kid and I don't remember what it felt like really.
My wife on the other hand must have had a traumatic instance with fireants because she is paranoid about them. I have spent a lot of time trying to kill the buggers in yard so she can feel safe. Pesky things.
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"Ride Free Citizen!"
VRCCDS0176
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RainMaker
Member
Posts: 6626
VRCC#24130 - VRCCDS#0117 - IBA#48473
Arlington, TX
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« Reply #23 on: June 13, 2011, 08:09:28 AM » |
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My oldest son got onto a mound when he was about 2 years old running around the back yard. My wife started giving me lip about letting that happen but I was watching him start to swell up. Grabbed him up and went directly to the emergency room. Got him there in time for a shot of epinephrine which saved his life from the allergic reaction. We then kept it around while he was growing up just in case it happened again.
These fire ants are nothing to trifle with if you are allergic to such things.
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 2005 BMW R1200 GS 2000 Valkyrie Interstate 1998 Valkyrie Tourer 1981 GL1100I GoldWing 1972 CB500K1 |
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Jess Tolbirt
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« Reply #24 on: June 13, 2011, 10:04:09 AM » |
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like i said earlier, i was told to put a teaspoon of gas on the mound int would die,, the fumes would go down into the mound and kill the queen, when she dies they all die...well if you know me a teaspoon just didnt seem like enough so i would pour a cup of gas on them,,,after a few months i never had any more of them little devils in my yard,,,i always wonder what Noah was thinking when he was gathering animals,,,
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