I got the Keys!

Poor Karl gets pulled in 100 different directions this time of year.  The warm weather this week has seen us coming home from work- scarfing what mom has been kind enough to cook for us - and then venturing outside to attend to the numerous tasks we have to tackle. 

I am working to tidy up long neglected beds and can spread mulch and chips like a banshee- which kept Karl interrupted getting loads of mulch.

FINALLY - with a little refresher lesson, I was able to pry the keys from his hands and use the tractor myself!  While I am not as gifted with the scoop- I am getting by and we are much more productive.

The long neglected rock garden gets a fresh coat of mulch, and the garden bench a fresh coat of bright paint.

Return of the SUGAR ANTS

Why o Why did I not rinse out that wine glass last night!   I found a nice little caravan of black ants this morning in the kitchen- another sign at our home spring is here!

You can be lazy and buy Terro ant bait ( non toxic) or build your own!  I found this on the net awhile back and it works great if you are in the DIY mood.



Sugar Ant Trap


•1 cup borax

•1 cup sugar

water



•4 shallow lidded jars
•4 loose wads of toilet paper

In a bowl, mix the borax and sugar. Place a loose wad of toilet paper into each of four different screw-top jars. Pour a quarter of the sugar and borax mixture into each of the four jars, over the toilet paper. Fill each jar with water to one inch of the top. Screw the lids on the jars, and with a hammer and nail, make four to eight holes in the lid. Place the jars in areas where you have ants (but keep away from pets and children).



This ant trap will catch the workers but not the queen. A more comprehensive solution is to blend 1/4 cup of confectioner’s sugar and one tablespoon of borax and sprinkle it in ant traffic areas. There is not enough borax with this method to kill the worker ants immediately, so they take it back to the nest, ultimately eradicating it. (If the worker ants do die at the powder, cut back on the borax.)



Caution: Keep borax products away from pets and other animals. It is non toxic but an irritant!



There are also a number of herbs such as mint and pennyroyal, and spices such as cayenne pepper, that repel ants.