Hot Tub Forum

Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: East_TX_Spa on March 28, 2006, 11:08:39 am

Title: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: East_TX_Spa on March 28, 2006, 11:08:39 am
Just had a nice lady customer call me and said she had fire ants in her Sovereign.  I've had to deal with them from time to time getting into the spa cabinet, but this is the first time anyone's told me they had them in the water.  Swarms of them.  

She put some Ivory liquid soap in there and it killed them dead.  Anyone else had this happen and do you have any suggestions to prevent reoccurence?  Thank ya'll and sorry about my salty language in the title but the ding danged fire ants always elicit such a reaction from me.

Terminator
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: Chas on March 28, 2006, 11:17:29 am
We don't allow them here in paradise, sorry.

::)
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: drewstar on March 28, 2006, 11:18:00 am
Yuk:
(http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/2493/ant10ni.jpg)

ouch:
(http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/1140/ant56hf.jpg)


Look out:

(http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/6207/mapant9eh.jpg)
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: East_TX_Spa on March 28, 2006, 11:25:01 am
Quote
We don't allow them here in paradise, sorry.

 ::)

They're headed your way and they are the most evil critter ever conceived.  One of my daughter's friends fell in a fire ant bed in our backyard Saturday and her arm looked like the one in the above pic.  I spent Sunday morning killing fire ants and red wasps.

Terminator
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: Chas on March 28, 2006, 11:26:16 am
Bummer.
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: East_TX_Spa on March 28, 2006, 11:29:57 am
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/EastTexasSpa/firemoun.jpg)

Fire ant mounds.  This is what most backyards in Texas look like.

Terminator
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: greenhut on March 28, 2006, 11:49:27 am
My wife went into anaphylactic shock on her second byte. She now has to carry an Epi pen at all times.

We live in Georgia, and they are a major problem here; although not in out tub...
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: drewstar on March 28, 2006, 12:07:34 pm
Quote
My wife went into anaphylactic shock on her second byte. \


Byte? Damn computer bugs.  ;)
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: blizzard on March 28, 2006, 12:34:42 pm
I've never been so glad to live in Ohio. So far no fire ants up here.
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: bosco0633 on March 28, 2006, 01:02:47 pm
I think we get them here, but not like that.  We in the north suffer from black flies.  You want to talk about pain

(http://medicalimages.allrefer.com/large/fly.jpg)

Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: Steve on March 28, 2006, 01:07:54 pm
Dumdedumdedum...just shoveling snow here...

I guess frostbite could be a concern... ;D

Damn...those things look nasty. I'm the type that screams like a school girl when a wasp is nearby. The kids get a kick out of it anyway... Glad I don't have to deal with those things! :o

I'm thinking a mote of fire around the tub should do the trick! ;D

Steve
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: Mendocino101 on March 28, 2006, 01:52:34 pm
How do you get rid of them......Can you spray.....do you burn the out.....challenge them to arm wrestle or a maybe a spelling B....I am lucky I never get anything at my place I have it treated 3 times a year.
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: bosco0633 on March 28, 2006, 01:59:42 pm
I dont know about burning them out, but term, I deffinitely wouldnt challenge them to an arm wrestling match.  I think they got you beat, they look pretty tough

Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: East_TX_Spa on March 28, 2006, 02:01:49 pm
Quote
I dont know about burning them out, but term, I deffinitely wouldnt challenge them to an arm wrestling match.  I think they got you beat, they look pretty tough

(http://media.funlol.com/content/img/ants-are-strong.jpg)

Ain't it the truth.  If they were as big as a poodle, they'd rule the world!

Terminator
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: drewstar on March 28, 2006, 02:02:58 pm
How would you like to find one of these taking a soak in your tub? :P  (its a Titanus giganteus beetlle).  I bet they make a real gross sound when you step on em.

(http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/2083/titanus17ii.jpg)
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: East_TX_Spa on March 28, 2006, 02:05:00 pm
That's a Texas cucaracha!

Terminator
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: Mendocino101 on March 28, 2006, 02:19:06 pm
Term I am genuinely curious about how you get rid of them....I mean that cow pasture picture with all the mounds makes you wonder if you can.....
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: Bonibelle on March 28, 2006, 02:19:10 pm
Just spread the wings, hollow out the back and fill with taco meat ...mmmmm
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: hymbaw on March 28, 2006, 02:23:17 pm
Quote
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/EastTexasSpa/firemoun.jpg)

Fire ant mounds.  This is what most backyards in Texas look like.

Terminator


Sounds like a great place to live! ??? ;)
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: Mendocino101 on March 28, 2006, 02:28:48 pm
do they get after the cows ?...
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: East_TX_Spa on March 28, 2006, 02:31:18 pm
Quote
Term I am genuinely curious about how you get rid of them....I mean that cow pasture picture with all the mounds makes you wonder if you can.....

(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/EastTexasSpa/antkiller.jpg)
This is what I use and it does a good job.  I told the nice lady customer to just sprinkle some around the perimeter of the spa, but she wants to use something organic.  She read somewhere to put diataceous some kinda crap around the spa.

Some of those mounds go 30 feet down.  We poured some gas on them and set them on fire at my boss's house:
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/EastTexasSpa/Picture564.jpg)

Terminator
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: Tatooed_Lady on March 28, 2006, 02:38:36 pm
Wow....well, I recall trying to get rid of an ant hill at home (NOT fire ants, and NOT 30' deep hill)...I think I just poured a kettle of boiling water on it, and called it a day. I suppose if you could boil a BUNCH of water, that might take care of a smaller hill without using a bunch of nasty chemicals. Maybe you could throw some outdoorsy shindig, take turns at boiling water then cooking ants...*lol*...how do they react to cayenne pepper? Do they haul out their little tacos and have a party, or would they stay away from the area if it were sprinkled around?
I got bit by some fire ants once when we were in the RV down south....I was real small, but I remember being in REAL pain.....those things HURT!!
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: bosco0633 on March 28, 2006, 02:39:42 pm
you texans need to be careful lighting those kinds of fires around your ground with all the oil.  The last thing I need is higher gas prices because of fire ants and terminator
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: Bonibelle on March 28, 2006, 02:39:55 pm
Seriously Term, I believe Boric acid will go the same thing as the DE, it is supposed to "cut" up their insides.
We use it here for carpenter ants, who don't bite, but will chew your house down.
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: East_TX_Spa on March 28, 2006, 03:21:29 pm
Quote
do they get after the cows ?...


Yes, they will kill newborn calves if they lay on the ground too long.  They have significantly damaged the quail population in our area.

We went frog giggin a few years ago and caught a bunch of them to turn loose at my dad's pond.   A couple of the croakers croaked and we left them on the ground.  Next day, came back and they were covered with fire ants.  Next day, nothing but a frog skeleton picked clean.

You can try to run, but you'll only die tired:
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/EastTexasSpa/05110310.jpg)

Terminator
Title: Re: *ing *anged Fire Ants!!!
Post by: Tatooed_Lady on March 28, 2006, 05:44:59 pm
Quote
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/EastTexasSpa/05110310.jpg)
Terminator

That must be a "Texas thang"