Including the pest problem.
I have never had an ant problem like I do when I live in Texas. Of course, we're in our new digs for a week and we already have a fire ant problem.
So off to Home Depot we go last night to buy something to eradicate our problem.
We buy the best (or what the salesclerk tells us is the best) because I don't want these things in my home. (Currently they reside in the backyard patio, right by my kitchen). It's the kind of poison you sprinkle on the mound, DO NOT WATER IN (direct quote from the container) and watch the ants die.
But now my big ant problem has become a big, neurotic problem.
The back of the package says "hazardous to humans and domestic animals." So, of course, we're not putting Cosmo in the backyard (he's currently whining up a storm in the garage) because as much as I love that dog, he's not the most street-smart dog you've met. He'll wander right up to the poison to discover what it is ... forget the horrible, sulfur smell.
And Lane is indulging my neurosis and has agreed to, after 2 days of letting it sit, go and destroy the mound and wash away the poison so we can return Cosmo to his playground.
But now I'm thinking ... will the poison ever REALLY be gone? Won't it just be in the lawn and Cosmo will bring it in on his paws and then my baby will pick it up through her scoot?
My mind is reeling. What am I going to do? (I can see Lane shaking his head in dismay at work as he reads this.) I've considered writing the fine folks at Ortho to see what they suggest, but, really am I just being crazy?
P.S. I am fully aware that I am a bit of a neurotic worrier.
7 comments:
I am SO glad that I'm not the only one that thinks like this!
If it was me.... I would call Ortho. They'll know more than you will and they might be able to calm your fears. Maybe you can find out why you can't add water.... Maybe it will dissolve it. Then I would water that spot A LOT till I thought it was gone.
Good luck!
From one neurotic worrier to another!
This is a Packard trait.....we are all in the same crazy OCD boat.
Good to see you haven't changed a lot :) I always loved that you worried more than me. It made me feel more sane...
ugh ... I hate ants. I worry more about bugs crawling on my kids then chemicals.
Little black 'I'm going to cover your pantry" ants are bad enough! I love your new background!
You know, this is very strange because we haven't had a single ant problem since we left California! I hated living back home because God forbid you left something semi-sweet out, the next day you would have an entire ant colony on it. Here is Texas the only problem we have ever had is with the occasional spiders. I haven't seen ants in many many years.
I know just how you feel, worrying about stuff like this. I thought I was anxious enough about things when I worried about myself in situations like this, but man, I didn't realize how intense it would get once you start worrying about your offspring!
Have you ever heard of Chinese ant chalk? The stuff is amazing! The only place I ever got any was at the flea market in Oakland, but I imagine that if you have a Chinatown anywhere near you there would be some place that sells it (it's officially illegal in the US). You just draw a line with the chalk around where the ants are coming from and as soon as they walk across it, they have terrible-looking convulsions and die. It's very effective--it worked great in the Bay Area--the ants always seemed terrible there until we started using this. As you can imagine, it's also VERY poisonous, so you'd want to keep it high, high up and locked away from Jane and your dog. (I think it was outlawed after a number of children and pets tried to eat it and got really sick). But, really, anything that's going to kill all those ants is going to be pretty poisonous. I figure with this stuff, you only have to use such a small amount that it might actually be less contaminating, especially if you can draw the chalk line somewhere Jane or the dog won't go near.
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