Wednesday, May 14, 2008
ANTS
This year's ant attack was longer and slower than usual. The first fucker appeared on Feb 15 as always, and I laid down the poison around the house as always.
In the typical year, I would see no ants at all from that point until the first really warm day, when the Big Swarm happens. This year was different: after Feb 15, I kept seeing one or two ants per day despite repeated applications of poison. Perhaps the hive's thermal patterns were screwed up by the record snowy winter and record cold spring. Nearly every day since Jan 1 has been about 6 degrees below normal. (Global warming, of course. Just like the Jews and the Illuminati and the Devil, GW causes everything. It causes cold weather, hot weather, rainy weather, dry weather, more hurricanes, less hurricanes, and perfectly typical weather.)
The Blitzkrieg started tonight around 8 PM, as I was reading this news story about truly horrible ants invading Texas.
Just like last year, I heard a crackling sound, then saw the winged fuckers moving out from the water heater. Spent a couple hours with the vacuum, trying to grab every one I could see. Finally the swarm petered out.
Next year I call Orkin on Feb 15. That's a solemn vow.
= = = = =
One interesting connection to the Texas "crazy ants": these ants also enjoy electrical equipment. During the long dismal months when I was seeing one or two ants per day, their favorite spot was the digital clock in the bedroom. This doesn't fit the typical light-and-heat seeking tendency, because it's black plastic and only slightly warm. Many items in the house are much warmer and brighter, but the digital clock was somehow attractive to the bastards.
= = = = =
Next morning: finding a few scattered ants on the floor, but they're all dead. No new live fuckers. Looks like the winged nasties had just enough life to get through the slot in the floor and walk a few feet. Maybe my poison was partly effective after all ... the total number of the swarm was vastly less than last year, down from several thousand to one hundred, and these hundred were weak.
= = = = =
Thursday afternoon: Spoke too soon. Yesterday's attack was just the Phony War. Today was the Blitzkrieg. Two hours long, several thousand. But it did reach a definite end, so maybe they are done at last. I'm tired. ¶ 10:35 PM
This year's ant attack was longer and slower than usual. The first fucker appeared on Feb 15 as always, and I laid down the poison around the house as always.
In the typical year, I would see no ants at all from that point until the first really warm day, when the Big Swarm happens. This year was different: after Feb 15, I kept seeing one or two ants per day despite repeated applications of poison. Perhaps the hive's thermal patterns were screwed up by the record snowy winter and record cold spring. Nearly every day since Jan 1 has been about 6 degrees below normal. (Global warming, of course. Just like the Jews and the Illuminati and the Devil, GW causes everything. It causes cold weather, hot weather, rainy weather, dry weather, more hurricanes, less hurricanes, and perfectly typical weather.)
The Blitzkrieg started tonight around 8 PM, as I was reading this news story about truly horrible ants invading Texas.
Just like last year, I heard a crackling sound, then saw the winged fuckers moving out from the water heater. Spent a couple hours with the vacuum, trying to grab every one I could see. Finally the swarm petered out.
Next year I call Orkin on Feb 15. That's a solemn vow.
= = = = =
One interesting connection to the Texas "crazy ants": these ants also enjoy electrical equipment. During the long dismal months when I was seeing one or two ants per day, their favorite spot was the digital clock in the bedroom. This doesn't fit the typical light-and-heat seeking tendency, because it's black plastic and only slightly warm. Many items in the house are much warmer and brighter, but the digital clock was somehow attractive to the bastards.
= = = = =
Next morning: finding a few scattered ants on the floor, but they're all dead. No new live fuckers. Looks like the winged nasties had just enough life to get through the slot in the floor and walk a few feet. Maybe my poison was partly effective after all ... the total number of the swarm was vastly less than last year, down from several thousand to one hundred, and these hundred were weak.
= = = = =
Thursday afternoon: Spoke too soon. Yesterday's attack was just the Phony War. Today was the Blitzkrieg. Two hours long, several thousand. But it did reach a definite end, so maybe they are done at last. I'm tired. ¶ 10:35 PM
