Texas Turtle Girl
New Member
- Joined
- May 2, 2014
- Messages
- 2
Growing up in Texas even as a kid I was trying to kill fire ants. I won't confess some of the things we tried, I could still get in trouble for them. I have seen fire ants swarm, kill and clean down to perfectly clean skeletons of many animals. I hate them most for taking away the horned toads that were plentiful when I was a kid. I have had box turtles since I was a kid too. I love them, they are such a peaceful animal. I am quite knowledgeable about their behavior from over 50 years of observation and interaction with them. FIRE ANTS can KILL!! This time of year makes this subject is a must. My successful method is as follows:
1. I feed my box turtles inside. No food, nothing to attract ants. This is the only sure fire solution for eliminating anything to attract ants.
2. I do get fire ant beds occasionally outside the enclosure next to the wood fence or in the rocks surrounding the enclosure. I immediately remove the girls to the house. I get my ORTHO Fire Ant KILLER, it is a powder. Poke holes in the bed, sir them up and make those damn ants mad then sprinkle the Ortho on and around the bed. I really get into it and use too much. The queen dies and the next morning the bed is DEAD. YES!
3. Now I have to be sure that there is no poison in the enclosure. I take the water hose set on the heavy stream and spray down the bed sending the mound and poison away and away from the enclosure. I do that a long time and I spray down the enclosure. I also set the sprinkler on the enclosure over night.
4. I treat my whole yard with Ortho Bug Be Gone spring and summer. This keeps fire ants out or at least a rarity as well as kills fleas and garden pests. The enclosure is planted with herbs, strawberries and their own tomato plant. They really like thyme. The strawberry plants are apparently as tasty as the berries. I quickly pick up and hose down any remnants left behind. They pick before anything gets ripe, and, yes they climb the tomato plant, so I haven't had ant problems.
While the girls are in the house they get a spa treatment, eat very well and get treats they don't regularly get. They are happy to return to their enclosure. Baker and Miss Nubin Hill inspect the place and Rose (the teenager) takes off to her favorite spot under the boston fern. After any changes have been noted the big girls head for the turtle house. And my All Out Fire Ant Assault Mission is a success and complete and I feel great. Killing fire ants cures depression and any thing that ails you.YES! Hope I helped
1. I feed my box turtles inside. No food, nothing to attract ants. This is the only sure fire solution for eliminating anything to attract ants.
2. I do get fire ant beds occasionally outside the enclosure next to the wood fence or in the rocks surrounding the enclosure. I immediately remove the girls to the house. I get my ORTHO Fire Ant KILLER, it is a powder. Poke holes in the bed, sir them up and make those damn ants mad then sprinkle the Ortho on and around the bed. I really get into it and use too much. The queen dies and the next morning the bed is DEAD. YES!
3. Now I have to be sure that there is no poison in the enclosure. I take the water hose set on the heavy stream and spray down the bed sending the mound and poison away and away from the enclosure. I do that a long time and I spray down the enclosure. I also set the sprinkler on the enclosure over night.
4. I treat my whole yard with Ortho Bug Be Gone spring and summer. This keeps fire ants out or at least a rarity as well as kills fleas and garden pests. The enclosure is planted with herbs, strawberries and their own tomato plant. They really like thyme. The strawberry plants are apparently as tasty as the berries. I quickly pick up and hose down any remnants left behind. They pick before anything gets ripe, and, yes they climb the tomato plant, so I haven't had ant problems.
While the girls are in the house they get a spa treatment, eat very well and get treats they don't regularly get. They are happy to return to their enclosure. Baker and Miss Nubin Hill inspect the place and Rose (the teenager) takes off to her favorite spot under the boston fern. After any changes have been noted the big girls head for the turtle house. And my All Out Fire Ant Assault Mission is a success and complete and I feel great. Killing fire ants cures depression and any thing that ails you.YES! Hope I helped