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Okay, the occasional bug in the house I can deal with. Depending on what it is, it is scooped up and taken outdoors or smashed flat. So not counting the whole 'ants trying to take over the bathroom' incident of a few months ago, things have been okay since I've moved in here over a year and a half ago.
But not once, no, not twice, but THREE FREAKIN' TIMES I've had 'ant bombs' in the living room. An 'ant bomb' [in my short hand] is one of those eruptions that seem to have a specific center and then spread out in a wave in a 360 degree circle from the center. THREE of them! Tonight's I thought was just a dark spot on the floor when I may have missed a spot of dried kitty puke so I grabbed some wet paper towels to clean it up.
And it MOVED!!!!
So... several applications of not at all safe bug spray [I haven't been able to find commercial pyrethrin based pesticides anywhere around here so far]. laying down towels over the bug spray [more for me so I could walk around], lots of moving furniture around, more spraying, about 4 complete washings with my Swifter, a clean water rinse and now many bath towels laid down on the floor so the cat's paws won't touch any residual I think I'm good.
For tonight.
The first set of towels are in the garbage [because of toxins and a lot of dead ants], a couple of chests are up on wooden blocks, fresh towels are on the floor [with the others plastic bagged to go into the wash ASAP] and my shoes and pants changed - just in case.
Have I ever mentioned how much I really, REALLY hate bugs?
And yes, I've been in the South. Heck I spent a month in Israel with bugs bigger then the palm of my hand. But those were 'there' and this is 'here'. And this was the 'third... freakin'... TIME'! This is not like it's coming out of a corner of the room or something that would make sense. This is right in the middle of a clear patch of floor.
URG!!!
Added note: And now I have a headache. DAMN! Okay - the fan is now on and blowing out the open front door. To be honest, I'm not too worried that the cats got exposed to anything. I shut them in the bedroom [where they like to stay on the bed most of the time] until I was totally done, I 'was' leaning down several times to look at the floor and I 'am' a bit sensitive to organophophate.
Long story short involving bugs at another location many years ago, husband and I spraying, not thinking much about it, sleeping on the floor right near there and my waking up in the morning with a screaming headache, some drooling and pin point pupils.
Field diagnosis: nerve agent [organophophate] poisioning.
I *knew* all those Army courses I took in NBC would come in handy.
But not once, no, not twice, but THREE FREAKIN' TIMES I've had 'ant bombs' in the living room. An 'ant bomb' [in my short hand] is one of those eruptions that seem to have a specific center and then spread out in a wave in a 360 degree circle from the center. THREE of them! Tonight's I thought was just a dark spot on the floor when I may have missed a spot of dried kitty puke so I grabbed some wet paper towels to clean it up.
And it MOVED!!!!
So... several applications of not at all safe bug spray [I haven't been able to find commercial pyrethrin based pesticides anywhere around here so far]. laying down towels over the bug spray [more for me so I could walk around], lots of moving furniture around, more spraying, about 4 complete washings with my Swifter, a clean water rinse and now many bath towels laid down on the floor so the cat's paws won't touch any residual I think I'm good.
For tonight.
The first set of towels are in the garbage [because of toxins and a lot of dead ants], a couple of chests are up on wooden blocks, fresh towels are on the floor [with the others plastic bagged to go into the wash ASAP] and my shoes and pants changed - just in case.
Have I ever mentioned how much I really, REALLY hate bugs?
And yes, I've been in the South. Heck I spent a month in Israel with bugs bigger then the palm of my hand. But those were 'there' and this is 'here'. And this was the 'third... freakin'... TIME'! This is not like it's coming out of a corner of the room or something that would make sense. This is right in the middle of a clear patch of floor.
URG!!!
Added note: And now I have a headache. DAMN! Okay - the fan is now on and blowing out the open front door. To be honest, I'm not too worried that the cats got exposed to anything. I shut them in the bedroom [where they like to stay on the bed most of the time] until I was totally done, I 'was' leaning down several times to look at the floor and I 'am' a bit sensitive to organophophate.
Long story short involving bugs at another location many years ago, husband and I spraying, not thinking much about it, sleeping on the floor right near there and my waking up in the morning with a screaming headache, some drooling and pin point pupils.
Field diagnosis: nerve agent [organophophate] poisioning.
I *knew* all those Army courses I took in NBC would come in handy.
