Couldn't bring myself to spray for ants, although they pretty much colonize the interior of the house in summer. Going after the cat food, searching the counters for crumbs despite the way all is meticulously wiped clean 10 times a day. Obviously I am a crazy person.

Waitaminnit, waitaminnit, waitaminnit!

There ain't no way that a stone cold fox, brilliant mind and excellent artist like ita could have been single for longer than I have been. No way!

You took membership in a martial arts secret society that demanded celibacy, didn't you? To strengthen your chi, right?

Beej, I'm envious that you have an apron. I only have a super bitchin' fez.

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You took membership in a martial arts secret society that demanded celibacy, didn't you? To strengthen your chi, right?

You're very sweet. I'm very single.

I wouldn't have sprayed for ants, but they were so out of control that they were introducing aphids and scale onto every plant in the garden and had a next under the hot tub and were constantly drowning in addition to getting inside the house. Since we were about to invest a grand or so on relandscaping with fruit trees and have eventually to find 4 housemates to rent to, the ants had to be controlled. (They're not gone. No, we never fool ourselves that they're gone.)

I was looking into IPM ways to handle them but there aren't all that many predators that focus on ants. And humans have been tough on those that do: armadillos, echidnas, antlions, anteaters...

Spidra, I think that's a Shriner's fez ... I don't think Masons wear those. But who knows? secret society and all that.

I may find myself asking for the benefit of your anti-ant research when the weather warms up... unless I get a pet echidna to dine upon them.

I know, Toddson. Although Shriners are also part of the Masonic fraternity, I believe. I'm not obsessively enough into it to have picked up the hardback coffeetable book I saw on it, but it had a GREAT hierarchical diagram showing the different sorts of Masons and the different degrees one could achieve.

I did some research for something way long time ago. Shriners are the elite Masons. You have to be a 32nd degree Mason to be allowed into the Shriners.

If you just want to kill ants, the ant baits work pretty well. Sometimes you have to try more than one formulation to find the one that makes your particular ants keel over.

I try not to bother the things that are outside. When they come inside, I'm less forgiving.

And the hivemind again comes through! interesting information.