Wasn't paying attention and had a close call this afternoon.

[mav]

I have been doing a bunch of outside work around the house this weekend.  I have been trimming hedges, hauling off dead branches, weed pulling, mowing grass, etc...  I have been surprised that I have found all of it enjoyable, even mowing the grass (outside of the hill area, that is still a bitch).

 

Anyway, I was working in the flower bed this afternoon pulling weeds.  After a couple of hours of working my way down the flower bed, I started getting bites on my hands and arms.  I was only half way paying attention, as I was listening to music as I was pulling weeds.  Within about 30 seconds I noticed all of these bites were burning like hell.  After about the 7th or 8th bite I got a glimpse of what was biting me.  It was an ant.  I didn't think anything of it as I was knocking off all the ants from my hands, arms, and pants.  I finally glanced around to my right and noticed that I was sitting right next to what looked like an ant mound.  To investigate I hit it with my hand and thousands of ants started pouring out.  I never knew I could move off my ass so quickly as I got out of the flower bed.  I had a fire ant mound in the flower bed.  It finally dawned on me why the previous owners left me a bag of fire ant mound killer.

 

I didn't bother using the fire ant mound killer as it supposed to take 24 hours as I have something much better.  I made an emulsion containing 10% permethrin and grabbed my shovel.  I sprayed the mound with the emulsion, and was using the shovel to break up the mound.  I sprayed some more, and within about 20 minutes the mound was dead.  I guess being aware of your surroundings applies to all situations cause within another minute or two I would have plopped my ass down right on top of that mound.  

[wipfel]

Growing up in Louisiana, I've had my shoes or hand covered in the little buggers more than once.  Their bites are no fun, sir.

Edited July 15, 2013 by wipfel

[runco]

If you want to have fun while taking care of your problem, find another ant mound shovel as much of it as possible, then dump it on the other mound, then watch the show. Usually this will kill the entire mound.

[Hozzie]

Yeah, it definitely makes you pay attention more.  I went to college in Florida and had my foot covered more than once not paying attention.  It's amazing how much pain it can be for such little things.

[rugerla1]

Whoa! Glad your warning bites made you stop and look or it could have been really bad!

[rugerla1]

If you want to have fun while taking care of your problem, find another ant mound shovel as much of it as possible, then dump it on the other mound, then watch the show. Usually this will kill the entire mound.

Never heard of this. Does it start a rival gang battle so to speak?

[Caster]

Gas and a match. They pop like popcorn.

[Guest Bonedaddy]

Found myself standin' on one at the TNTomBig waterway, once. Didn't notice it till a good bazillion of'm was runnin' up my leg. Didn't get stung once. Screwed up and sat on a yellow jacket nest squirrel huntin', once, too. Didn't notice them till they started poppin' outta the hole in the knee of my jeans. Threw the shotgun down and hauled ass for a good quarter mile before they stopped comin' after me. Still didn't get stung once but I had to wait till dark to go get my shotgun. It was covered in'm till then.

[itchytriggerfinger]

I stepped on one in sandals the first day of a five day fishing trip in FL. My foot itched and burned all week! The fishing was good though.

[Wyldk2]

I never had the displeasure of encountering these little buggers til i moved to Fayetteville. I killed all the mounds on my property before they had a chance to set in. But my old job, they were everywhere. I don't see them here in Tullahoma, maybe the infestation isn't as bad in some places.

[tnhawk]

..... I guess being aware of your surroundings applies to all situations cause within another minute or two I would have plopped my ass down right on top of that mound.

 

How difficult would it be to ship them to the White House?  :panic:  :panic:  

[monkeylizard]

I didn't know rats ate fire ants.

[peejman]

I was born in SC near Charleston.  I got into a fire ant mound when I was little and they ate me up big time.  Thankfully I'm not allergic as that would've been really ugly.

[Guest Bonedaddy]

Yep, them allergies can be a biatch. My SIL was stung by "one" and like to croaked because of it. Had to hit the emergency room fast and she had no idea she was allergic to'm. Damn things are everywhere in North MS and AL. Some up here in W. TN but not like down there.

[mav]

Had another one today, but I wasn't so lucky this time. 

 

I have been working clearing underbrush the past week or so.  As I was working on chopping down one of these prickly little pines near the root, I felt these mild stinging pains.  I didn't pay much attention as I thought it was just the tree digging into my arm.  Next thing I know, HOLY S***,  it felt like a bunch of pins being stuck into my arm.  I pulled out my arm and rolled it over and saw a bunch of yellow jackets on my arm.  I dropped my tomahawk and started running while knocking them off my arm.  Apparently, there was a yellow jacket nest near the tree root.

 

It has been forever since I have been stung by a bee, but them lil' sumbitches hurt and they leave the stingers and part of their body attached to it.  My arm hurt for several hours.  Thankfully there was no swelling.

Edited August 2, 2013 by mav

[Guest sL1k]

Mav God is telling you to plop your a$$ in front of the tv drink a cold beer and relax for a day.

[gjohnsoniv]

I think what you're being told is to stop working in the yard.

[peejman]

You're lucky you're not allergic.  My arm would be the size of a balloon and I'd need a Benadryl IV. 

 

Mix up some a paste of meat tenderizer and water and apply it to the stings.  Leave it on until it's dry, it'll help with the itching. 

[mikegideon]

Had another one today, but I wasn't so lucky this time. 

 

I have been working clearing underbrush the past week or so.  As I was working on chopping down one of these prickly little pines near the root, I felt these mild stinging pains.  I didn't pay much attention as I thought it was just the tree digging into my arm.  Next thing I know, HOLY S***,  it felt like a bunch of pins being stuck into my arm.  I pulled out my arm and rolled it over and saw a bunch of yellow jackets on my arm.  I dropped my tomahawk and started running while knocking them off my arm.  Apparently, there was a yellow jacket nest near the tree root.

 

It has been forever since I have been stung by a bee, but them lil' sumbitches hurt and they leave the stingers and part of their body attached to it.  My arm hurt for several hours.  Thankfully there was no swelling.

 

Yellow jackets look like bees, but they're really wasps. I don't think they're supposed to leave their stinger behind like a bee. Anyway, just dump a whole can of Raid hornet killer into the nest. It will kill the nest AND the bush. Ask me how I know :)

[Dennis1209]

Yipes! I've heard them fire ants hurt like hell on TV programs.

 

I sure wasn't aware fire ants have moved this far up North. I've noticed all the dead armadillo on the side of the road that have finally made it up here to NW Tennessee.

 

Anyone know how far North in Tennessee they've made it?

[mikegideon]

Yipes! I've heard them fire ants hurt like hell on TV programs.

 

I sure wasn't aware fire ants have moved this far up North. I've noticed all the dead armadillo on the side of the road that have finally made it up here to NW Tennessee.

 

Anyone know how far North in Tennessee they've made it?

 

Fire ants are evil. I've done battle with them a number of times, and lost a couple of them when I lived in Texas. I don't think they've made it to Nashville yet. They're not hard to spot.

[jeff43]

Take some corn meal and sprinkle on and around the mound.They will eat it and can't digest it,dead ants.

[mikegideon]

I see all these fire ant remedies on the internet. I'm not a scholar, but places like Texas have been overrun with these things for decades. You can hose them down with a can of raid, and they'll just fart real big and run up your leg :).

[Guest The Itis]

I stepped into my bathtub and THEN noticed a brown recluse next to my foot.

That could've been bad times right there.

[gnmwilliams]

Saw a tarantula hawk wasp once while visiting New Mexico. If you haven't seen one in person the thing sounds like a chopper flying over if you're close enough. If you don't like bees or wasps, don't google it. You've been warned.