Post B6r2MNQUZLyCqUIRuq by wyatt_h_knott@mstdn.social
(DIR) More posts by wyatt_h_knott@mstdn.social
(DIR) Post #B6r1mhPylNECQL2o0u by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T11:25:17Z
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Just watched a video by a pest control guy. He's putting bait *outside* of a home to kill ants that were seen feeding on a dead lizard. Outside. Why. What is going to eat the dead lizard if you kill the ants? Are you going to put the dead lizard in a land fill. He uses the worst species key I've ever seen that will identify every ant as one "pest" or another, then decides to try using protein bait to kill the ants. Never says why he's killing ants outside of a house.
(DIR) Post #B6r1zeZIfYoRLma5Wi by kmck@mas.to
2026-05-31T11:27:33Z
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@futurebird For engagement. Ugh.
(DIR) Post #B6r2L9deLXKxnHrssC by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T11:31:27Z
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He didn't link to the species key he showed in the video. It felt like the purpose of showing it was more to make it feel like identifying ants is complex and you need to call an expert to help. But I still found it. Right at the top it says it's for nuisance ants in homes. I could see if there was a bad infestation needing some outdoor bait, but really native species are more sensitive to baits and when you put them outside you are killing your defenders. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/TOOLS/antkey.pdf
(DIR) Post #B6r2MNQUZLyCqUIRuq by wyatt_h_knott@mstdn.social
2026-05-31T11:31:41Z
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@futurebird Because someone is paying him.
(DIR) Post #B6r2N4BPbISPSAZVse by jide25@mastodon.social
2026-05-31T11:31:44Z
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@futurebird Sigh.
(DIR) Post #B6r2fjunBHE65xhakK by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T11:35:14Z
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Most poison baits that attract ants will also attract bees and wasps. You will also kill pollinators. Poison is an *extreme measure* and should be targeted to be fed ONLY to insects that are in the house. And only if other methods aren't enough. You may see some poison's marketed as "inhibiting reproduction" these seem like they might be more targeted... but they work on all insects: bees, butterflies, wasps, everything. They might be worse than bait.
(DIR) Post #B6r2txP3pRufyxdhjs by jakobtougaard@mastodon.online
2026-05-31T11:37:46Z
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@futurebird I was in the garden supply store yesterday. Kind of shocked by the amounts of insecticides and weed killers for sale, but what really got me was that *right* next to all the pesticides were the bird nesting boxes and "insect hotels". What are people thinking? They only want the "nice" and beautiful animals, I suppose. As long as the ants stay out of our kitchen, they can roam in our garden as much as they like 😁
(DIR) Post #B6r2yBsByKtK1BHfWK by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T11:38:34Z
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I don't want anyone to have a kitchen filled with argentine ants. But they are probably there for fresh water, shelter and food. You can kill them with bait (maybe) but if you don't eliminate the things that attract them they will be back. And you and your family, pets and all the creatures you like have to live with poison in your environment all of the time. That's no good.
(DIR) Post #B6r3EELIYgn6JIXwtE by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T11:41:25Z
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@datarama I use tape to remove aphids on garden plants and this works OK. But when the leaves of the plant start curling up it may already be too late.
(DIR) Post #B6r3LggXa0IMEy2R8q by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T11:42:48Z
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@datarama Probably had the best night of his life and decided nothing could top it so he died.
(DIR) Post #B6r3MUxydRx4BWa4GG by jakobtougaard@mastodon.online
2026-05-31T11:42:50Z
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@futurebird In our previous house, the first sure sign of spring was entering out guest toilet and finding the floor filled with ants, busy moving their eggs and place them on the conveniently heated floor 😁. There was no window in the room, I think they only did it because it was completely dark in there.
(DIR) Post #B6r3ZKNfItsJ7PiJAu by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T11:45:16Z
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@datarama The tape might be worth a shot. I thought that tape wouldn't work since how could I get them all?But I must have gotten enough of them off of the squash plants that they couldn't get their numbers up again, since each time I do this they don't return that season. But they are always back on the next year. But right now something much larger is destroying my tiny garden. I've put up a trail cam to try to catch the criminal. (I think it's the baby raccoon.)
(DIR) Post #B6r3i0ApnnHX3Pqerw by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T11:46:51Z
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@jakobtougaard So nice of you to heat up the floor for them. LMAO. This is why ants sometimes get into electronics. They love constant mild warmth.
(DIR) Post #B6r3vJKxreaMFjvthI by Taco_lad@aus.social
2026-05-31T11:49:13Z
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@futurebird the most benign bait I have used is jelly/jello made with a teaspoon of borax.Attracts the ants regardless of protein or sugar thirst, is low enough dose to just give larger animals a sore tummy, and is safe enough to use inside to get the ants that are being troublesome while not harming outside ants.Borax is also naturally occurring and mostly used as a cleaning product/algaecide.
(DIR) Post #B6r3zGzsVTt49ZxWz2 by aadeacon@mastodon.social
2026-05-31T11:49:56Z
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@futurebird Possibly because the householder likes everything to be neat tidy and sterile which Ants do not fit (or the householder has a phobia about ants). Either way why not just move the deceased lizard to somewhere the ants are not a problem?
(DIR) Post #B6r443MSdDpTJKnkHI by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T11:50:49Z
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@datarama I live on the 6th floor and don't know how they get up here. I wonder if they come in with the vegetables from the store... or the potting soil if I buy a plant at a garden center (garden centers are kind of huge vectors for all kinds of things)In theory a few aphids should be fine. It's when they explode in numbers that it's a problem. Have to wonder why that happens. I'm also impressed that caterpillars show up-- specialized caterpillars too!
(DIR) Post #B6r4SCdvm2IL31UKqO by epicdemiologist@wandering.shop
2026-05-31T11:55:08Z
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@futurebird I'm with you--WHY?? (and yes, I've had ants become a pest indoors, but it never occurred to me to poison ants--probably not even the same ants!--outdoors!)
(DIR) Post #B6r4g7C6pRosCe6nnE by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T11:57:41Z
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@aadeacon I just wish we could stop and think about why we are killing this pest or that pest. Why is it a pest? Why is it there?When a lizard dies what would you like to happen? I guess I wouldn't want it in the middle of the sidewalk. Put it under a bush. I think some people think if they sterilize the area around their house they will be less likely to see pests in the house. This isn't totally true. A dead zone is always filled by the most robust pests first.
(DIR) Post #B6r4s8fHBgogEqU7Bg by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T11:59:53Z
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@aadeacon No one wants to open a drawer and see an explosion of unexpected bugs. But, by creating dead zone we make the condition where that can happen more likely. One hardy species just needs to get a foothold and there is nothing to hold them back from exploding in numbers. This is why people who hate fire ants the most always seem to be the ones with lawns full of mounds. They've killed everything that can stop them. It's a one on one battle.
(DIR) Post #B6r4vjs5JKZ4V9Bzc0 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T12:00:30Z
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@dianea "The best way to remove ants in houses of friends was to find why the ants were in the house, almost always leaky plumbing."💯
(DIR) Post #B6r5JVQOfsF4e7Zh68 by joannaholman@aus.social
2026-05-31T12:04:47Z
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@futurebird In general very important to be careful when using any kind of poison to deal with pests. Here in Australia we have a big problem with Tawny Frogmouths and Owls dying painful deaths from consuming mice that have eaten mouse/rat baits.
(DIR) Post #B6r6Lp1Ssftlxea5uS by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T12:16:21Z
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@Aurin_the_classtraitor @dianea Like most living things there is a hierarchy of needs:For ants it's not that different from us.1. Air2. Water3. Shelter. (Temperature, Humidity)4. Food5. Family and Community6. Self-Actualization (Being the best ant you can be. Making that perfect little tunnel for the colony. 🐜 )Water matters more than food, and so does shelter. People tend to focus on food waste when thinking about pests, but often water is the issue.
(DIR) Post #B6r6rGZYV8EINmWL8S by jakobtougaard@mastodon.online
2026-05-31T12:22:07Z
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@futurebird my pleasure! We did fend them off, however, usually by sprinkling generous amounts of cinnamon around the cracks they entered through. Not sure what it is that ants don't like about cinnamon, but I find it usually does a good job deterring them.
(DIR) Post #B6r7H8yrLlXUMkhCGe by tassiedi@urbanists.social
2026-05-31T12:26:46Z
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@futurebird I find scattering talcum powder across the entry points and ant paths stops them coming in. They don't like to cross the dry powder.
(DIR) Post #B6r7k8zOOgJ0n4m0iu by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T12:31:55Z
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@Aurin_the_classtraitor The temperature inside is in a more narrow range.
(DIR) Post #B6r8GubusSuDkhPxFA by lastdinosaur@lastdinosaur.club
2026-05-31T12:36:55.201Z
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@futurebird@sauropods.win because if you pick up the lizard and throw it in the woods 50m from the house, the ant colony will not follow it. what the ant colony will do instead is start searching for a new food source, which could be inside the house. so he is killing the colony.
(DIR) Post #B6r8HSxNBCGsH5iZPM by trachelipus@masto.ai
2026-05-31T12:37:59Z
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@futurebird Pest control guys can really take advantage of ignorance. Your "fix plumbing" tips are great!My city born neighbor hired a guy who told her she has rat tunnels in her yard. She now has SGAR bait traps ringing her house. She actually has rotting stumps and chipmunks, which don't usually move indoors. She abuts conservation land with weasels & nesting raptors. :angryplanet: At least town voted in an SGAR ban, yay!
(DIR) Post #B6r9ADUiMxb4FLQ7aC by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T12:47:57Z
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@dianea @Aurin_the_classtraitor I want to clarify that "the ants" that arrive in this case are the larger carpenter ants. Out west this is a more serious issue than out east. If you have log cabin... oh dear. If you are in an eastern brick house ... or if they aren't carpenter ants in large numbers it's not that dire probably. But the big carpenter ants are in charge of breaking down logs you could crumble with your fingers. Wood you could scrape into with a fingernail.
(DIR) Post #B6r9chqP7gGyU19NZY by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T12:53:07Z
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@aadeacon And frankly? In a one on one battle with fire ants the ants will win. Even with all our technology. Even with nukes. It's every other creature that ends up losing.
(DIR) Post #B6rABpGDXbSLcUyEYC by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T12:59:28Z
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@aadeacon I know three different "lawn guys" in my extended family who live down south, hate fire ants and each one has called me since someone else in the family told them "She knows about ants"With two they were willing to learn and have made progress not having a yard full of fire ants. But the one guy who won't listen to me just called me again to say why won't I come and get these "gosh darn ants" like I'm their mom and should take them all home.
(DIR) Post #B6rAc9ohjgkSu3eosq by Phosphenes@mastodon.social
2026-05-31T13:04:12Z
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@futurebird @aadeacon What advice do you give them? Is there a natural predator or antagonist you recommend?
(DIR) Post #B6rAq6Uksnl6efybNg by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T13:06:42Z
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@Phosphenes @aadeacon I told them to make bigger garden beds with native plants and increase the shade in their yard. And to stop watering the grass with sprinklers on a timer. That's basically a water feeder for fire ants. The one ant hating uncle really like to have a green lawn. He keeps watering his ants so they keep growing in numbers.
(DIR) Post #B6rB7TQOsrD4h3DpcO by lemgandi@mastodon.social
2026-05-31T13:09:52Z
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@futurebird @Aurin_the_classtraitor @dianea Plus, ants are extraordinarrily picky about humidity. The foragers can adventure out in the dry, but the nest must maintain a very narrow range. Those little grubs will dry out or rot quickly otherwise.
(DIR) Post #B6rD7WZXNjNOMZeE8e by Phosphenes@mastodon.social
2026-05-31T13:32:17Z
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@futurebird @aadeacon Uncles vs. Ants could be a book title. 😆
(DIR) Post #B6rEwVtFmEOayFkNuK by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T13:52:39Z
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@Aurin_the_classtraitor @dianea In Finland it could be red wood ants.
(DIR) Post #B6rFirU4nJcDqL1btI by ephesossh@mastodon.online
2026-05-31T14:01:24Z
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@futurebird @aadeacon this is why I love house centipedes so much, truly just fuzzy little friends
(DIR) Post #B6rGYNJYD50zKcfIvI by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T14:10:46Z
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@Phosphenes @aadeacon "But the grass will die!"["good"]<<<did not say thisIf the grass dies it's the wrong kind of grass for your region. Better plants will arrive even if you don't plant them. If you really really need a lawn for IDK ... sports? some reason well ... that is going to be a project. (astroturf isn't so bad and it'd never muddy on game day...)
(DIR) Post #B6rInM0LYsixWOx8pU by AnachronistJohn@zia.io
2026-05-31T14:17:16.279310Z
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@futurebird @Aurin_the_classtraitor @dianea Is this a Finnish red wood ant? Are Finnish red wood ants known for being bitey?
(DIR) Post #B6rInNAJFKHt7acbzs by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T14:35:05Z
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@AnachronistJohn @Aurin_the_classtraitor @dianea Yup! That's a red wood ant, NOT a carpenter ant. These are the ants that make the huge mounds of pine needles and twigs in the forest. They have massive colonies and are a keystone species in many ecologies. In some places they are protected. (one of the few ants with that honor)I don't know if they bite much. They can't sting but they do have formic acid which could hurt if it gets in your eyes. (if you made a few 100 of these ladies mad)
(DIR) Post #B6rIoUqCC5n7DTkXMe by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T14:36:06Z
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@AnachronistJohn @Aurin_the_classtraitor @dianea The giveaway that it's a wood ant are her "rosy red cheeks" it's like they have on too much blush.
(DIR) Post #B6rJmd8AV9HQImpWxE by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T14:46:55Z
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@AnachronistJohn @Aurin_the_classtraitor @dianea Formica rufa isn't going to try to live in your house unless you have one of these in your living room?Like... I think you'd notice... hopefully.
(DIR) Post #B6rLNT1f8NE5dAuraq by RoseRaven@eldritch.cafe
2026-05-31T15:04:47Z
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@futurebird @aadeacon how does one make progress at not having fire ants?i didnt know that was possible
(DIR) Post #B6rLRhWv9LuDlzYWgq by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T15:05:35Z
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@Phosphenes @aadeacon In their native habitat fire ants aren't the dominant ants. They live on the margins of the rain forests, places where fire, a big tree falling, or other disturbances have made a gap in the canopy letting in the sun. They need more water than most places in the US have naturally. So they are very dependent on people watering lawns, cutting down trees and brush and digging up soil. They can't really compete with the native ants without those advantages.
(DIR) Post #B6rN1id4dkftYsAkTo by epicdemiologist@wandering.shop
2026-05-31T15:23:16Z
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@futurebird @aadeacon I'm reminded of the Georgia lady who wanted the Dept. of Natural Resources to come get all the crows out of her yard...
(DIR) Post #B6rN32zaPrPD0RKsxE by moriel@chaosfem.tw
2026-05-31T15:23:30Z
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@futurebirdWhen i owned a home in Texas i had 2 acres and made a point of not mowing very often, and leaving the (unused) horse paddock completely alone to go wild with native plants. And wouldn't you know it, i never had a problem with fire ants and always had plenty of bees coming around. Funny how that works.
(DIR) Post #B6rNHYaBlDr12INJJo by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T15:26:10Z
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@epicdemiologist @aadeacon What's next? Come get the sweetgum trees too?
(DIR) Post #B6rNUCTDHm76Dh8oIC by threeforks@mastodon.social
2026-05-31T15:28:25Z
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@futurebird @aadeacon Haven’t you shared with them the name of a local Ant Piper? My goodness.
(DIR) Post #B6rNdG2jN4rPuJ4b2W by epicdemiologist@wandering.shop
2026-05-31T15:30:04Z
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@futurebird @aadeacon Nah, we just get Yankee crafters to pick up all the spiky balls; they take 'em home and spray paint 'em gold. 😉
(DIR) Post #B6rPUuAR1LJNeVozUe by johntimaeus@infosec.exchange
2026-05-31T15:50:57Z
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@futurebird @Phosphenes @aadeacon One thing I noticed when I had a "lawn" was the difference in fire ants between areas with fine bladed grasses (like Bermuda) and leaf grasses like St Augustine. The bermuda lawns would always have lots of mounds, the augustine -- not so much.If the augustine was cut high and infrequently (the way it should be) there would be almost no fire ants at all.
(DIR) Post #B6rSe8v3qGapsEj8cq by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T16:26:13Z
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@Aurin_the_classtraitor @dianea Those aren't red wood ants, those are carpenter ants (genus Camponotus maybe Camponotus novaeboracensis)
(DIR) Post #B6rTNWnvsuv8z12BCC by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T16:34:23Z
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@Aurin_the_classtraitor Where are these ants? FL? (that might be a little surprising)Their main nest is probably in an old stump, a wood pile or at the base of a very old tree. They do not eat wood (so not like termites) but they will enlarge soft wooden cavities to make nesting space. They are also happy to live in an existing cavity that isn't wood if the humidity is right. In the house I grew up in (which is still standing) there was a 15 year old colony under the porch.
(DIR) Post #B6rTl61F7ifUrNUwHQ by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T16:38:44Z
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@Aurin_the_classtraitor Based on the size of the ants it's at least a one or two year old colony but could be much older. These colonies have one queen who can live for over a decade. It looks like they have found a space in a deck maybe?They eat other insects, anything sweet (flower nectar, cupcake icing, spilled juice)They don't farm aphids much. They may make a satellite nest in spring. Main nest are mostly not in homes as they are hardy and can stand cold winters.
(DIR) Post #B6rWSh7DHAauGxCvia by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T17:09:01Z
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@Aurin_the_classtraitor My point is if they aren't eating your log cabin, if you don't see piles of sawdust near important wood structural beams ... and if they aren't inside of the house in big numbers you probably don't need to worry about them too much. But if you see them in large numbers in a house and they seem to be in the walls one might want to find out what they are doing in there.
(DIR) Post #B6rX3heAGM0UdSGdZA by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T17:15:40Z
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@Aurin_the_classtraitor Ah!"FL" is "Florida" in a US context. These are Camponotus but not Camponotus novaeboracensis... (that's the US version) The euro version is Camponotus ligniperda.Also sometimes called "wood ants" just to keep everyone confused. But they are very similar to novaeboracensis
(DIR) Post #B6rXV2VwmnZbAoSVaC by darkling@mstdn.social
2026-05-31T17:20:36Z
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@futurebird @aadeacon But you *are* in charge of all the ants, aren't you?Or have I been misled all this time?
(DIR) Post #B6rXxu3TJgNlKqu2iG by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T17:25:41Z
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@Aurin_the_classtraitor Can you seal the holes they are using maybe? Do you have any sense of what they are coming in for? Water? Food?These are very "forest creature" ants and not known for just nesting in human homes. They are very gentle and safe to hold and cannot sting. (they could bite but won't do so unless crushed... and their bite isn't much) They like having access to the forest. If there is a conga line of them they are getting something. Or they have a satellite nest.
(DIR) Post #B6rY0xcmV9vXH5sPUO by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T17:26:24Z
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@Aurin_the_classtraitor Anyway I hope you find out what they are up to.
(DIR) Post #B6radYGKvkvXoluKbA by Meowthias@mastodon.world
2026-05-31T17:55:45Z
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@futurebird @Phosphenes @aadeacon So this explains why fire ants are out of control in my sister's Austin suburb HOA.
(DIR) Post #B6renUCjH0CxwbDGDo by kbm0@mastodon.social
2026-05-31T18:42:23Z
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@futurebird We tend to keep them away from the house by sprinkling a bit of diatomaceous earth around at the back. It is not chemically toxic and it seems to completely wear off after a couple of years. We're happy to see them around the garden and in the compost bin, but we want to avoid getting them in the cavity walls again. 🐜
(DIR) Post #B6rjCLakpaDAHzYoq0 by adrake@sfba.social
2026-05-31T19:31:42Z
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@futurebird the climate in SF has some interesting effects. This is in The Supercolony so the only ant species I've ever seen outside of a large park is Argentine.The only time we ever see them inside, even just a scout, is during the rainy season ("winter").Sometimes they are clearly foraging; they find some food, form a trail, all that classic stuff. If presented with sugar borax bait they take it immediately. Removing the food and baiting knocks back that little bleb of the supercolony relatively quickly and they disappear.But occasionally they're in a different mode. Ants everywhere, a network of roads but no obvious start or end. They completely ignore all baits (sugar, protein, whatever), food that's been left out, water, etc. (Sometimes a lone ant will be spotted eating but it never leads to a trail.)1/2 I have noticed they have two different
(DIR) Post #B6ro5rMCpTtsYFTukq by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T20:26:31Z
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@Aurin_the_classtraitor They could put one in an attic if there are any cozy ant sized gaps or dark voids up there. Or if they find some soft wood they can get into.
(DIR) Post #B6rvzxlgsb7CKZ6K6y by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T21:55:10Z
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@adrake I wouldn't give up on there being other ants in your area beyond the colony. When an introduced species is in the burst stage it can feel like everything else is gone. And vulnerable species can disappear in this period especially on islands. But right now the supercoloy is a big juicy target for parasitic ants, for phorid flies, for all manner of disease and predators. And the other ants are likely still around, they just aren't as conspicuous.
(DIR) Post #B6rwcM2J6GYqbJBCRE by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T22:02:06Z
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@adrake About 100 years ago Tetramorium immigrans came to the US mainland. They have dominated cities and suburbs. The queens of every sidewalk.But, soon some of their specialized predators followed, such as the ant-eating spider, and Tetramorium atratulum the worker-less social parasite. In NYC Lasius emarginatus has displaced them in some areas. Which is alarming but also interesting. I guess my point is they can't go on like this forever.
(DIR) Post #B6s4VMUFpDLDbZQcC0 by llewelly@sauropods.win
2026-05-31T23:30:27Z
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@futurebird @adrake on the other hand, imagine, 66 millions of years ago, the continent of N. America, briefly after having been rendered nearly ant-free by collision with space rock, available for practically any ant that shows up, few or no competitors or predators to suppress incipient invasions, imagine all the exciting arrivals who came, contested, and ruled their small space for a few short years, only to be replaced by the next wave ...
(DIR) Post #B6s5fZwOl50cBK1o7k by adrake@sfba.social
2026-05-31T23:43:29Z
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@futurebird the good news is that we have a nice diversity of other insects. Lacewings, lady beetles, bumblebees, honeybees, butterflies, moths, flies, spiders, ... and many species within those groups. I try to ID anything that sits still long enough for me to get a picture.We have an absolutely enormous population of spiders that I'm pretty sure are in the wolf spider family based on how they carry their egg sacs. Quarter-sized, ground-hunting (no webs) very fast, very well camouflaged. If you step into leaf litter you might see half a dozen of them bolt away from your foot and then vanish the instant they stop moving. I walk slowly to give them a chance to get away. I've never managed to get a good enough photo to ID them because they go from "invisible" to "moving quickly" and back before I can get the shot.
(DIR) Post #B6sNzBLHiuWUrCALM8 by b_cavello@mastodon.publicinterest.town
2026-06-01T03:08:42Z
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@futurebird @Phosphenes @aadeacon Wow, this is very helpful! I have a family member who it turns out is SEVERELY allergic to fire ants, and so as a precaution the family has been bringing in these types of “pest control,” but I also know they have an automatic water system. This could legit be some lifesaving info!!
(DIR) Post #B72bGF9a33Z2aKkx3A by lxskllr@mastodon.world
2026-06-06T01:24:34Z
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@futurebird I just found something that worked on my ants. TickGuard™. It's a stronger version of CedarCide™ made especially for ticks. Anyway, I sprayed some in my mailbox, and all my mailbox ants are gone. Killed the ones in there on contact, and none have returned. I sprayed the crevices where the kitchen ants were coming in, and they're mostly gone. I'll see a straggler every so often. The active ingredient is Texas cedar(???). Smells like eastern red cedar(juniperus virginiana)