Red fire ants !!

[SilverRidge01]

Got nailed about ten times while fishing other day, isn't the first probably won't be the last time, should have known better few years ago was again fishing along the bank of a retention canal when I stepped into a fire ant hill, they were crawling all over my legs when I just jumped into the water and got the little nasties off me, was quite an experience, this time I'm very conscious of places  I stand with my recent knee replacement, found what thought was a soft place in the grass, yup ant hill, ouch ouch, they got me a few times real good, I just wear keen sandals when I go out no socks or cover, the next few days especially the nights were not fun, no sleep, put all kinda ointments on the sores, no relief,  constant itching, pain, swelling, read they are poisonous, any way took 3-5 days to heal, first thing I did was get a big bottle of DEET which I will use each time I go out, getting to old to be that uncomfortable .. Morale of this story do not step on a red fire ant hill, you'll be seriously sorry !! 

[BamaBud]

I don't think DEET works to repel fire ants.

You just have to stay away from them.

[jmax]

Ammonia works great on fire ant hills, the higher the concentration the better. It is heavier than air and will smother the buggers.

[Wyzz Kydd]

With a stick jab a hole straight down into the nest. Wiggle it around a bit then let go before they climb up and sting you. Pour a half cup or so of gas into the hole. Stand back, way back(the fumes are flammable). Toss a match onto the anthill. A few minutes later your fire ant anthill is no longer a problem.

[SilverRidge01]

Googled up red ant deterrent said DEET will

keep em off you .... re can of gasoline if I could I would, but would get a lot of citizens p/o lightening an inferno on public land  read short article about a dude that physically fell into an ant hill got bit so many times the poison started to effect his mind and he was hallucinating bad bad critters red ants   ...

 

[Alabusa]

With a stick jab a hole straight down into the nest. Wiggle it around a bit then let go before they climb up and sting you. Pour a half cup or so of gas into the hole. Stand back, way back(the fumes are flammable). Toss a match onto the anthill. A few minutes later your fire ant anthill is no longer a problem.

I do the same but usually use a gallon of gas because fire!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T337A using Tapatalk

[tadbart]

Nasty little bastards. Sorry to hear they got ya!

I'll deal with hot feet, and wear shoes and socks outside in the South. I've been bitten by mosquitoes every month of the year in this swamp I call home, and fire ants are perpetually here as well. Add snowbirds and love bugs...

 

I can't wait to be FROM Florida!

[NPTim]

When I was an anesthesia tech while in university. We did a bilateral orchiectomy on this old fella. He had been at a picnic and sat on a fire ant bed. Got his balls, that later became infected, thus the orchiectomy. ???

[Historian]

5 hours ago, NPTim said:

When I was an anesthesia tech while in university. We did a bilateral orchiectomy on this old fella. He had been at a picnic and sat on a fire ant bed. Got his balls, that later became infected, thus the orchiectomy. ???

I'd have just let you...kill me.  Sorry. 

[Moshe]

I know guys that liked to mow in their shorts and hit a pile.  They regretted it.  When the rain finally stops, those nasty ants will be out in droves.  They are common in many places.  I learned my lesson at 5 on base housing.  I sat in one.  That was the last time-ever.

[tadbart]

Pretty sure, that for the first time EVER, we are ALL in consensus on a topic.

[Maccabeus]

On 5/13/2019 at 6:01 AM, tadbart said:

Nasty little bastards. Sorry to hear they got ya!

I'll deal with hot feet, and wear shoes and socks outside in the South. I've been bitten by mosquitoes every month of the year in this swamp I call home, and fire ants are perpetually here as well. Add snowbirds and love bugs...

 

I can't wait to be FROM Florida!

The problem with Florida (besides the humidity, mosquitoes, snakes, gators, rays, sharks, love bugs, palmetto bugs, cancer-inducing sunshine, and people) is the combination of sandy soil; tall, thick grass; and, fire ants.

That loose soil doesn't allow the ant mounds to pile high enough to get over the top of the elephant grass (some people call it St. Augustine's, but same difference) making the hills near impossible to see.  When you live in the land of red clay, you can see those orange-red mounds from down the street. Lawns look a lot uglier, true, but at least you know where not to step.

 

[SilverRidge01]

Ah you fellas are too harsh and negative regarding Florida living, I'm a transplant from the beautiful state of Oregon,  yes many negatives re the Florida Eco system and positives also, Hmmm let me get back to ya on the positives ....

[tadbart]

4 hours ago, SilverRidge01 said:

Ah you fellas are too harsh and negative regarding Florida living, I'm a transplant from the beautiful state of Oregon,  yes many negatives re the Florida Eco system and positives also, Hmmm let me get back to ya on the positives ....

Perhaps I'll move back when I'm a senile old coot. Y'all seem to love it here.

[Historian]

5 hours ago, SilverRidge01 said:

Ah you fellas are too harsh and negative regarding Florida living, I'm a transplant from the beautiful state of Oregon,  yes many negatives re the Florida Eco system and positives also, Hmmm let me get back to ya on the positives ....

I live in a Florida college town:  I'm constantly reminded of what a dirty old man i am.

 

[Moshe]

9 hours ago, Maccabeus said:

The problem with Florida (besides the humidity, mosquitoes, snakes, gators, rays, sharks, love bugs, palmetto bugs, cancer-inducing sunshine, and people) is the combination of sandy soil; tall, thick grass; and, fire ants.

That loose soil doesn't allow the ant mounds to pile high enough to get over the top of the elephant grass (some people call it St. Augustine's, but same difference) making the hills near impossible to see.  When you live in the land of red clay, you can see those orange-red mounds from down the street. Lawns look a lot uglier, true, but at least you know where not to step.

 

Ironically, Texas has every one of those on your list.

[Maccabeus]

3 minutes ago, Moshe said:

Ironically, Texas has every one of those on your list.

And, it's a hog infested wasteland to boot.  

Although, to be fair, FL has had a Hogg problem, too.

[janice6]

4 hours ago, Historian said:

I live in a Florida college town:  I'm constantly reminded of what a dirty old man i am.

 

Had the same experience in Boulder, Colorado.  Ugly reminder of age.

[janice6]

The only bad things in the ground I had a problem with in MN was the Ground Bees attacking my kids and the dog.

I waited until late evening when they all went into the nest and took a can of Polyurethane foaming insulation out to the nest with a foundation block.  I snapped the nozzle off the foam insulation and stuck it down the hole of the nest.  Then I put the foundation block on top of the can to keep it in place.

Problem was totally solved.  However, I wander in the far future if any Archeologists dig up my yard and find the whole nest preserved in Urethane, what their explanation might be as to how and why this was done.

A good time was had by all!

[Moshe]

12 minutes ago, Maccabeus said:

And, it's a hog infested wasteland to boot.  

Although, to be fair, FL has had a Hogg problem, too.

With a hunting license you can hunt hog 24/7 as they are considered a nuisance problem.  I don't know if Florida has the same standard.  But, if it did, I would start with David.  LOL

[Moshe]

5 hours ago, tadbart said:

Perhaps I'll move back when I'm a senile old coot. Y'all seem to love it here.

Most don't know where they are by then.

[Moshe]

4 hours ago, Historian said:

I live in a Florida college town:  I'm constantly reminded of what a dirty old man i am.

 

I realized that about the fifth and final year I was running a Checkpoint and putting women in secondary or pulling them over on the highway.  The first four years was, "Hey, sexy in green, what you about?"  Being married and my fifth and final year before moving off to investigations, I got, "You pulled me over because I look like this," as they ran their fingers invisibly over their curves.  Year one, and five didn't bother me either way.  Flirting didn't get them out of an arrest, and neither did scolding.

[Historian]

52 minutes ago, janice6 said:

Had the same experience in Boulder, Colorado.  Ugly reminder of age.

You are only as old as the woman you are feeling up.

[SilverRidge01]

47 minutes ago, Moshe said:

With a hunting license you can hunt hog 24/7 as they are considered a nuisance problem.  I don't know if Florida has the same standard.  But, if it did, I would start with David.  LOL

They are considered a nuisance here in Florida also, millions destroying grazing lands and vegetable crops, but no hunting license is required, we hunt em all the time, especially on the Indian reservations and give the meat the tribe, my preference is hunting them with a handgun, usually my judge, 45 colt, slugs, 000 buck shot,   but looking forward to hunting them next few weeks with my glock 30 with the new 10m barrel,  have hunted them many times with 45 ACP fun hog hunting in Florida see I told ya there was some positives living down here, I'll think of more don't rush me !! 

[Moshe]

No need to rush.  I let them lay where they are unless someone wants them.  I don't eat them, they are unclean.  But, I am not going to jump down someone's throat for doing so.  It is not my place to dictate their conscience.