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Automotive Necromancer
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Beantown, MA
Posts: 1,544
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Effortless Termite eradication (say hello to my little friends!)
Hey folks. I just had a recent run in with Termites here in Houston and thought I would share my unorthodox, but highly successful solution. Or rather natures answer to these voracious critters. Ants. Yep, that was all there was to it.
A group of dry wood termites made their way to my abode, and needless to say I was quite concerned. I could not for the life of me figure out why they came at the front of the house when there was some perfectly good rotting wood in the back. I should also point out that there are ants in the back. Not sure of the species, but they are very small in all respects excepting their rather painful bite. For this reason I tend to leave them alone and we have formed an understanding over the years. I remembered from a Nature special that ants and termites are not real good friends as Ants think termites are yummy and tasty. A strip of sweet soda (non diet) along a stable path guided my pals all the way around the house and to the point where the Termites were. The scouts took a while to check out the whole improvised path thing, but the fireworks began surprisingly fast and soon my uninvited guests were being dragged out feet first. Or, in some cases pieces, in no particular order. " Say Hello to my Little Friends!!" I know, pesticides would be faster. But this was just such elegant revenge for the damage to my house and no bodies to clean up! And Yes,...I will be calling an exterminator and doing some carpentry in the near future as well as some landscaping. However... I will leave the ants alone. After realizing that they have been defending 3 sides of the house against termites all this time, I am beginning to appreciate them. Additionally, after seeing them go at the termites, I really don't think it would be a good idea to get them mad at me.
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There may be nothing quite as expensive as a cheap Porsche: Ruby Red 84 928S : White 87 924s 2.5L NA (Blinky) M44/07-43H10676 spoiler delete - 046/2B - Belts 9/12, Clutch and OC seals 8/08 andd Red 94 Del Sol: Please put your Make, Model and Year in Sig. Try not to break more than you fix. |
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05-26-2010, 07:53 PM
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Detached Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: southern California
Posts: 26,964
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Cool, I'll remember that.
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Hugh |
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05-26-2010, 08:13 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: So. Cal.
Posts: 9,103
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Hmmmm. Small ants, bad bite, Texas. Those wouldn't be fire ants would they?
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Marv Evans '69 911E |
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05-26-2010, 08:38 PM
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Run smooth, run fast
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 13,447
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Quote:
Quote:
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- John "We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline." |
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05-26-2010, 09:27 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 2,357
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Quote:
 Very cool!
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'87 924S (Sold) |
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05-26-2010, 10:28 PM
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AutoBahned
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you may also want to get a pet echidna
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05-26-2010, 10:34 PM
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Cogito Ergo Sum
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Guess thats why we don't have termites...
We have Harvester ants here. They are the ones generally mistaken for Fire ants due to their size and bite. They are rather docile tho. If you don't jack with them they don't bite. We feed them... Anything and everything. As such we have some rather active dens on our acreage. Why would we do this you ask? Well you see... Harvester ants are the favorite food of the Horned Lizard or "Horny Toad"... We now have a nice population of "Horny Toads" Plus its damned cool to watch the ants work. |
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05-26-2010, 10:35 PM
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Where is that wrench?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Irvine, CA
Posts: 1,415
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Note this doesn't work with all species of ants. My neighborhood has an abundance of both ants and subterranean termites. The ants we have, black argentine (ubiquitous in SoCal), like sweets, and leave the termites alone.
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05-26-2010, 10:50 PM
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Registered
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Tioga Co.
Posts: 5,942
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you may also want to get a pet echidna
No termites and eggs for breakfast!
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'86na, 5-spd, turbo front brakes, bad paint, poor turbo nose bolt-on, early sunroof switch set-up that doesn't work. Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem. |
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05-27-2010, 03:02 AM
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Back in the saddle again
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Central TX west of Houston
Posts: 55,899
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Quote:
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Steve '08 Boxster RS60 Spyder #0099/1960 - never named a car before, but this is Charlotte. '88 targa  SOLD 2004 - gone but not forgotten
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05-27-2010, 03:05 AM
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Almost Banned Once
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Adelaide South Australia
Posts: 38,331
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Great story and solution.
No chemicals and you can repeat the exercise as needed. Thanks for sharing...
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- Peter |
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05-27-2010, 03:12 AM
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Bollweevil
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Fulshear, Texanistan
Posts: 3,361
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Quote:
I haven't seen a horned toad in probably 20 years.
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Jack 74 911 Coupe 2.7L - K21 Option - S suspension |
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05-27-2010, 05:01 AM
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
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Quote:
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2013 Jag XF, 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins (the workhorse), 1992 Jaguar XJ S-3 V-12 VDP (one of only 100 examples made), 1969 Jaguar XJ (been in the family since new), 1985 911 Targa backdated to 1973 RS specs with a 3.6 shoehorned in the back, 1959 Austin Healey Sprite (former SCCA H-Prod), 1995 BMW R1100RSL, 1971 & '72 BMW R75/5 "Toaster," Ural Tourist w/sidecar, 1949 Aeronca Sedan / QB |
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05-27-2010, 06:32 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 668
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I think this is a horrible idea. To get gid of the ants you'll need an ant-eater, to get rid of the ant-eater you'll need a leopard, to get rid of the leopard a hyena, to get rid of the hyena, a lion.
It's a slipery slope. |
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05-27-2010, 06:41 AM
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I have several of the big Horned Toads in my back yard, do not see them often. My theory
is when they banned DDT the fire ants came back in mass. These nasty little bastard that are not native to Texas can kill Horned Toads, hence the Toads are almost gone. The greenies strike again with their good intentions. |
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05-27-2010, 06:43 AM
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least common denominator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Pedro,CA
Posts: 22,506
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Quote:
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Gary Fisher 29er 2019 Kia Stinger 2.0t gone 1995 Miata Sold 1984 944 Sold I am not lost for I know where I am, however where I am is lost. - Winnie the poo. |
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05-27-2010, 07:21 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Long Beach CA, the sewer by the sea.
Posts: 37,685
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Boric acid. No ants or termites.
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05-27-2010, 07:40 AM
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Control Group
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sorry Hugh, no fire ants(hopefully) in your neck of the woods.
What Uncle Milty said
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She was the kindest person I ever met |
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05-27-2010, 07:55 AM
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least common denominator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Pedro,CA
Posts: 22,506
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Quote:
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Gary Fisher 29er 2019 Kia Stinger 2.0t gone 1995 Miata Sold 1984 944 Sold I am not lost for I know where I am, however where I am is lost. - Winnie the poo. |
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05-27-2010, 08:17 AM
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
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Quote:
__________________
2013 Jag XF, 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins (the workhorse), 1992 Jaguar XJ S-3 V-12 VDP (one of only 100 examples made), 1969 Jaguar XJ (been in the family since new), 1985 911 Targa backdated to 1973 RS specs with a 3.6 shoehorned in the back, 1959 Austin Healey Sprite (former SCCA H-Prod), 1995 BMW R1100RSL, 1971 & '72 BMW R75/5 "Toaster," Ural Tourist w/sidecar, 1949 Aeronca Sedan / QB |
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05-27-2010, 08:30 AM
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1986 Porsche 944 2.5l
2004 Mazda Miata
