Fireants....I hate them!

Got bucket, actually found my clippers, went out and decided to sit in my newly mown lawn (I love my lawn guys--got them trained to touch nothing but the turf grass, maintain a good line along the beds, and keep my brick path weed-eated). When I pulled at a ratty looking flower head to cut it...this is what I found. You never saw a person get up out of the grass so fast.

The devious spawns of the devil didn't have enough dirt to use--so they decided the stalk of the zinnia itself would work just fine......notice the 'catacombs' and everything....I really need to get out and deadhead the zinnas more often after it rains...fireants, I hate them!

This message was edited Jun 3, 2006 8:20 PM

Ouch! Makes me itch just looking at the pic!

AAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yep gotta hate 'em!

Well after all that rain I expected some ants, you know how the buggers are, but it had been so long between the time I'd put out the red pepper for my rat friend that I didn't think the rain would matter- yet I did recall troy saying that I might have to reapply after heavy rain...last night took my dog outside and heard that old familliar sound of a rat running up the inside of my rain gutter! Won't he be surprised this evening when he runs through a fresh supply!!!! Ugh.

Trust me, I am an animal lover, I didn't get upset when some cat mistook my fertilizer for cat litter, or climbs all over my newly washed and waxed car- yeah I do hope the wax caused him to slide right off! but rats don't belong on my roof and dog owners need to be trained! I suggested to my husband that he donate a sample of urine, maybe he is getting old, several years ago he'd have been all for it, last night he just sort of snickered...well I am off to the gym- LOL. Sorry don't have the guts to make that request, but I did find a source for all types of "urine lures"- I was hoping for grizzly bear but will settle for coyote! It's 15.00 and change, but by the time you add S&H it's just as cost effective, and quicker, to get it locally. Will let you know how it works! If it's funny enough I will take pics and share.

I had something large (perhaps cat) drag a 3 lb bag of Alaska Organic Fertilizer (smells real "fishy") across the back patio............now the gate was closed so it couldn't be a dog.

I have a dirt path up the side of my house (in the swale) because I can't figure out what I want to fill it with (was thinking maybe decomposed granite and stepping stones). Found fresh "people" prints out there two days ago....they had even slid because it was sheer gumbo mud, on a slope. Teenagers, I wonder?

People prints? are you sure? sounds like coyote to me.

could be...could be

I used to live somewhere that my gate was being left open all the time. I thought my dog had managed to push the latch up or something. Then one night I was up late and looked out a window to see a teenager taking a shortcut through my yard instead of walking around the block to his house!

Sheila- kind of nervie little bugger! Did you shoot him?

No, but I had a talk with his mother!

How many plants did he 'trampled' down sprinting the fence? Must be nice to be able to leap fences with a single bound....I've always said that youth is WASTED on the young!

Yes and old age ain't for sissies- that's a Bette Davis quote, wish I'd thought of it on my own.
Thought I'd share a little of my day w/you- everybody needs a laugh, right?

Today, after I finished mowing the lawn I could swear that I felt something crawling and itchy under my waistband and then across my lower abdomen but no, it had to be just sweat- after all the humidity here was oh I don't know 95% maybe and it was so dang hot, like 90 something? so I ignored it and kept working in the yard- watered a few things and felt an itchy crawly sensation on the back of my thigh and when I touched my jeans back there oh my god there WAS something there! so I started doing the "OOOOHHHH get out of my pants!!!!!" dance- thank god I was in the back in the yard!!!! and finally out of my pant leg, onto the grass fell this stupid beetle thing maybe 1 1/2 or 2 inches long, brown w/ black head- I see them at the foundation of the house when I am flooding those beds, but I hadn't been near there so have no idea how the dang thing got in my pants and if I hadn't been so freaked out it would have been funny. It's a little funnier now.

Its amazing how, even in our advanced age, we can get out of our clothes pretty fast if the occasion calls for it, huh?
;)

Yeah!!! you never saw anyone move so fast!!!!!!!!!! Did I tell you that I hate bugs?

rodents and snakes are right up there in fright content for me.

dmj1218 - Have you considered that you might
have a "Peeping Tom?" Don't want to alarm
you, but it does happen.
Fire ants build catacombs? I'm amazed.
Your zinnias look so healthy and beautiful.
Do the ants do damage to the plants too?

Gosh, I haven't walked barefoot in the grass
since I moved down here, and my cat from
Chicago refuses altogether to walk on the St. Augustine.
He's used to Kentucky Blue Grass, which is nice
and soft, but with the fire ant problem here I am
glad he doesn't want to go out. He might bring them
into the house. Bad enough my dogs bring one in
now and then. Try and find them on a shaggy dog !

I still walk barefoot in the grass all the time.

Any bizarre happenings around here I blame on the teenagers; if for some reason they prove innocent, I blame the adults I know. Thus far, the only unsolved mystery is who planted this 'whirlygig' in the front yard on the middle of a week night in March--no one is 'fessing up' to the deed.

Debbie,
That is the kind of thing I would have done, but not this time - someone beat me to your yard. LOL :) Nice bird windmill - the mocking birds have found the grape tomatoes. Maybe I need to make one for myself.

Back to your original topic. Thanks to the rain, I have located about a dozen "new" mounds. Found then when I mowed. But I did not dind any in the garden (yet).

Just went out and sprinkled DE around the lawn on about 4 mounds...hope they don't decide the house looks "high and dry".

It looks suspiciously like one of those things they put up around the new houses they are trying to sell, don't it? Since my daughter attends the 'High School on the Disappearing Katy Prairie' and is a senoir...I suspect teenagers...for everything.

Bubba, I even blame the teenagers for directing the rodent to eat my green zebra tomatoes. They seem to cringe when asked to try a variety that looks any different than the ones in Randalls....

Now that you mention it - we have not had any teenage problems since our son left the house.

BTW, how do the green zebras taste - or have the rodents beat you to all of them?

They are good, 'zingy' best describes them--but be very aware...its a huge and very productive plant. If I grow it next year--I will allow more space for it than I ever had for any tomato variety, ever. I been growing tomatoes for at least 15 years--it's a monstrously large plant!

Restaurant closed on Mondays? If you want, I'll root you one and come visit you at the restaurant...during what ever the slow time of day in a restaurant is. I still got your card from the RU.
Debbie

We never close - well almost never - Easter, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and sometimes New year's Day.

I could meet you there this evening - 6:30 - 7 ish?

Photo is "My Mess" - hope to harvest some of the bibb lettuce seed, too.

Scale - the PVC posts are 10' apart.

Not this week it would have to be next week...right now have rental car with flat tire. They don't rent cars to teenagers..lol

Looks like you got really healthy tomato plants there--its not tomato blasphemy (despite what the tomato forum would have you believe) to pick tomatoes when they first start ripening to thwart the birds--they taste just as good to me.
Debbie

Debbie,
Just found and aired up a near flat on my car. Is this a DG virus?

Ok about this week - I'm usually there Friday evening and Saturday after 8PM, then, of course, early (9:30) to cook the Champagne Breakfast Sunday. But whenever you are ready, let me know.

Gave away a hundred more grapes this weekend - still have 2 overflowing bowls.

I'm just letting it sit right now--kinda forces me to get stuff done at the house.

Serve a side salad heavy on the tomatoes as a weekly side alternative to fries. You'll have a million takers. lol
Debbie

HEY what's this about a restaraunt? I am always up for food!

The lazy gardner of Houston Chronicle fame says she always picks her tomatoes when they 1st begin to change color and lets them rippen in the house, apparently while dogs are color blind, birds are attracted to red- how could something w/ a brain the size of a bird see in color and dogs do not?

In Quail Valley for several years all the teens- I am only guessing I suppose it could have been Bubba from Lake Olympia, used to gather all those oh so attractive pink flamingos and put them all in one persons yard. I thought it was rather amusing to see a dozen or so all planted in one yard!

Speaking of grass, I spent my 1st 12 years, or at least the 1st of those 12 that I was aware, in So Cal and we had grass that was not St. Augustine! It wasn't Kentucky Blue, but it was much softer and nicer. I hate St. Aug but you gotta go w/ what the area demands.

Yes April--you did hear the word restaurant--he own's one on Westpark. We are going to have to go there sometime next week and 'do lunch'--think global, spend money local--that's what I always say. It's down there in your neck of the woods--

As far as grass goes--any kinds fine with me as long as I don't have to cut it. Turf grass is one plant I have never been fond of...nor think I do well at; although this year it seems to be enjoying all the rain.

Dog owners know dogs aren't colorblind. Large green tomatoes look JUST LIKE ~ tennis balls!

April,
If I had only known I could get buffalo grass when we bought and returned to Houston, It only grows 6". I would never have had to mow.

Now, I check the Toms 3 times a day looking for bugs and pre-harvestable fruit.

So far even taking some heavy green ones form the yellow variety - seems to ripen inside in 2 days. Just so many smaller ones - wish they would grow bigger or start to turn.

Got a fiend in Quail Valley that really loves flamingos - her daughter, friends and our family did her yard once. Her daughter said it was a riot when she went to get the morning paper.

Deb...great idea, love to eat and why not spend money w/ those we know!

Podster, that's just too funny!!! I have a feeling it's the shape though.

Bubba, I can only imagine how funny! did you ever see the home on the corner of Glenn Lakes and Mission Valley that a few years ago had metal frog musicians in the front? They were stolen and the woman put up a sign saying something like "Beware! There are theives...." I guess it was teens, but about 3 mos. later those same musician frogs showed up 3 or 4 houses down & they still reside there! Too funny, frog musicians!

Then there's always the yard of the month sign moved to the most neglected house in the subdivision...restless youth we raise.

HAHAHAHA! Kids w/ wit!

Well, Deb will appreciate this - one of the lawn services puts the clippings in clear bags - I try to find and "harvest" 2-3 / week for the garden. Let them "age" in the sun behind my fence for a few days. Usually a bit ripe when opening the bag, but it does melt into the ground fast.

Please advise when you are "heading to lunch" - we will be sure to join you. I'm one of the owners but usually on site as a "worker-bee" Sunday only - unless it is a major holiday - then I'm in fish-fry mode there.

If you get caught "harvesting" what do they call it? pocession of grass? LOL.

The many ways our language keeps getting re-invented.
That would be a really big bust - 200 pounds of grass.
And a repeat offender at that!

I just put it out fresh and let it age 'in place'...saves one step.

We got 4 Green Zebras and 4 Black Prince rooted into gallon pots in the shade...they should recover within the week. They really are the worlds easiest (next to Angelonia) plant on the planet to root. And I can see my rangoon creeper again...as I ripped out the host plants. Now I need more plants.lol

Nice and sticky, sweaty, and 'itchy' out there this evening. Asked the child to stop for more potting soil on the way home from work and she cheerfully obliged...Venus and Mars must be aligned tonight. Now if I can just get 'you know who' to quit sending me snippy emails with attitude from Indianapolis...I swear I wish he'd just come right out and tell me he's spending most of the summer "out of town". Like he doesn't do that every summer....


This message was edited Jun 5, 2006 6:56 PM

Deb oh my god only my oldest would stop for potting soil for me! The others would tell me they don't know where to buy it, what it looks like, how to lift something that heavy.... just tell him to enjoy himself and beat him to the punch.
Must go move the sprinkler...

Gee don't know if we should be hanging out w/ someone likely to get busted, or re-busted, for pocession and/or theft of 200 lbs of grass! I don't know but I think that might be a felony, LOL.

Move the sprinkler?!? Didn't ya'll get enough rain to last a few days?

As I said Venus and Mars must be aligned tonight...

You would think that was enough wouldn't you, but there is little shade in my yard and the grass gets fried so fast- last year we had terrible chinch bugs- thought they were just something made up to frighten unsuspecting gardeners, but no! This neighborhood has them bad and causes that I am aware of are over fertilizing w/ nitrogen based fertilizer- which commercial prep isn't -yes I know seaweed, fish products aren't- dry/hot conditions, and get this lack of preditors....ANTS! not sure if fire ants are chinch bug predators, think they prey on people!

Wish they were predators of anything but me--found another "pile" in my native asters--at least I did not get attacked ripping out tomato plants.

just noticed today that my brug cuttings, which grow faster than weeds, have little tiny, can you see them, buds!!! So excited. This one is Dr. Seuss- can't go wrong w/ that name!