This is my third summer in Texas. I really hate the summers here. We get about 3 months straight of temperatures that are above 100 degrees. When you walk outside, you literally feel like you're inside an oven, the sun burning your flesh like a Thanksgiving turkey. On weekends, whenever my wife suggests we go to the park or a lake or some other outdoor activity, I almost always reject it because "It's too freakin' hot!" Instead, I'll suggest we go to a local pool, or a library, or a movie, or anything that's indoors.
This is our first summer in our new house, and I've now discovered that summer brings out (what seems like) every bug on the planet. Our backyard is filled with spiders, ants, grasshoppers, ladybugs, an occasional frog or two, and hundreds of other species that I'm not aware of. Whenever I mow or water the lawn, I see all sorts of movement going on within the grass.
Now, I don't really mind bugs as long as they stay outside, but lately they've been getting inside as well. Just recently, our house has been invaded by ants. They started out in our laundry room. Once we sprayed there, they moved to the kitchen. Then the bathroom. Then our bedroom. Now this morning I find them in the kids bedroom. And these ants aren't of the friendly variety either. These are aggressive freakin' bastards. They have bit me and everyone else in our family (except Kyle, for some reason). When I was a kid, I remember I use to let ants walk on my hand, and it wouldn't do anything. Now they bite the hell out of you. I have bites all over my hands. Sara has them on her arms and legs.
We've bought "Bug Barrier" from Raid, which you spray all around the perimeter of the house. It's worked pretty well for all the other bugs, but not the ants.
It sucks. It makes me really wish that winter would hurry up and get here.
This is our first summer in our new house, and I've now discovered that summer brings out (what seems like) every bug on the planet. Our backyard is filled with spiders, ants, grasshoppers, ladybugs, an occasional frog or two, and hundreds of other species that I'm not aware of. Whenever I mow or water the lawn, I see all sorts of movement going on within the grass.
Now, I don't really mind bugs as long as they stay outside, but lately they've been getting inside as well. Just recently, our house has been invaded by ants. They started out in our laundry room. Once we sprayed there, they moved to the kitchen. Then the bathroom. Then our bedroom. Now this morning I find them in the kids bedroom. And these ants aren't of the friendly variety either. These are aggressive freakin' bastards. They have bit me and everyone else in our family (except Kyle, for some reason). When I was a kid, I remember I use to let ants walk on my hand, and it wouldn't do anything. Now they bite the hell out of you. I have bites all over my hands. Sara has them on her arms and legs.
We've bought "Bug Barrier" from Raid, which you spray all around the perimeter of the house. It's worked pretty well for all the other bugs, but not the ants.
It sucks. It makes me really wish that winter would hurry up and get here.
Having been to Houston a couple of times, I understand your feelings. We have the same summer climate here in Osaka. Only the humidity reminds me that I am not in hell. We have ants also, but they are very small and couldn't bite if they wanted to. Like you, I usually spray them. Using universal ant tactics, they reappear in another room too. Out of spite, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteThe only sane place to be in this heat is in a pool - floating in an inner-tube with a large brimmed hat and ice filled drink in hand.
Hi Ken, Amber saw one of these over in our park today. They are called "Cow Killer Ants." They are also called "Velvet Ants." Their bite or sting is extremely painful they say, so I'm glad that Amber didn't try to catch it to show us. LOL
ReplyDeletehttp://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/cowkiller.shtml
Janet