I've Been Bamboozled !

Those ants. Ants are ants in some aspects. Put some boric acid down around the house, that should keep them out and is harmless too the cluckers. or mix Boric Acid and DE and puff dust in and out. If you want throw some powdered sugar in it to entice them to it to make sure they get it.

Aaron
We've got a lot of ants & ant varieties here, but the 1 that doesn't even belong here is a bad one, European Fire Ants. Good luck trying to get rid of them, no one has ever successfully done so. You might be able to reduce the numbers but they're never totally gone. They've been battling them in Maine & Canada for nearly 100 yrs. I did get some Antixx, which is Spinosad based pellets, the ants carry back to their tunnels. Nope, these jerks do not create mounds, they have tunnels, 15 feet deep, all over several acres, so you can't tell exactly where home base is, pIus they've got multiple queens spread out. They like moisture, trees, shade, mulch, rocks...what a PITA...like it's all gravel roads back here! So at any given moment, spring, summer & fall, you can see them running around, looking for food or stinging somebody trying to dig & garden...that somebody is often me.
When using Antixx, the yellow bait pellets are immediately seized upon & carried off. I once followed the "carry bait trail" to see where they went. Some submerged with bait into various holes along a large area, but I trailed a few ants nearly 3 acres! Ugh, nasty buggers.
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I actually don't mind the moles, but do wish that for every hole (panther pit) the dogs dig trying to get one, they actually made the kill! We live in the country, our yard gets mowed occasionally, and anything that grows there is fine with us. Right now the leaves are falling, and maybe I'll get the lawn tractor out and mow it one more time. Maybe. If I actually get the plants sitting in pots planted before the ground freezes...
No fire ants here, may it stay that way!
We do have ground wasps (hornets?) that get very offended if disturbed. And they are dangerous!
Mary
 
When the moles become scarce, won't the foxes start eyeballing your chickens?
We have the occasional bobcat out here that I have seen, and some really mangy looking foxes. I forget the name of it but some kind of wierd dog thing too, not a prarie dog, not a fox / wolf... it'll come ot me. nasty little things but the moment you grab them by the scruff, they like petrify and you can do what you need to with them then.
Well, I know I'm very lucky to have the synergy going on, & surely hope it continues. There's ample food sources here, apparently. I've seen them also eat soybeans & wild berries. Weird, cuz there are always about 10 huge wild rabbits hopping in my backyard, so if Foxes are eating fat rabbits, they're smart enough to not eat them all, letting them repopulate. I asked the fox to stay away from my flock, please don't eat the blueberries (the chickens won't even listen to that request), stop peeing on my truck tire, stay in back of the big barn, you Foxes & kits can play in the grass back there...when I talk to wildlife, I'm sorta half joking, but honest to goodness, the foxes have complied!!! They even come lay down abt 15 feet from me when I make a fire in the pit. Last night, the gorgeous male, with full beautiful bushy tail & black socks, sat with me over an hour, & no I did not share my shrimp & beer, never do feed them. I was dog sitting once, & the fox would walk with us! He'd stay abt 6 feet behind, walk & stop whenever we did. The neighbors were amazed & took photos. I swear they think they're my dogs sometimes...or perhaps wish they were dogs. Never even a hole or divet dug anywhere near pigeon loft or chicken coops. All I know is, we've had synergy here since 2006 & for that I am extremely grateful. ❤️ 20220225_175439.jpg 20201217_133721.jpg 20201215_170253.jpg 20211114_165521.jpg 20210217_170410.jpg 20220404_175349.jpg
 
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Well, I know I'm very lucky to have the synergy going on, & surely hope it continues. There's ample food sources here, apparently. I've seen them also eat soybeans & wild berries. Weird, cuz there are always about 10 huge wild rabbits hopping in my backyard, so if Foxes are eating fat rabbits, they're smart enough to not eat them all, letting them repopulate. I asked the fox to stay away from my flock, please don't eat the blueberries (the chickens won't even listen to that request), stop peeing on my truck tire, stay in back of the big barn, you Foxes & kits can play in the grass back there...when I talk to wildlife, I'm sorta half joking, but honest to goodness, the foxes have complied!!! They even come lay down abt 15 feet from me when I make a fire in the pit. Last night, the gorgeous male, with full beautiful bushy tail & black socks, sat with me over an hour, & no I did not share my shrimp & beer, never do feed them. I was dog sitting once, & the fox would walk with us! He'd stay abt 6 feet behind, walk & stop whenever we did. The neighbors were amazed & took photos. I swear they think they're my dogs sometimes...or perhaps wish they were dogs. Never even a hole or divet dug anywhere near pigeon loft or chicken coops. All I know is, we've had synergy here since 2006 & for that I am extremely grateful. ❤️ View attachment 3300255View attachment 3300256View attachment 3300263View attachment 3300264View attachment 3300266View attachment 3300276
Your friend is just beautiful!
 
I don't have fire ants here, that I know of, but I really wish the ticks would die. We have some freezing temperatures for a week, but now warm again and they are back with a vengeance. For some reason they really like me. AARRGGHHH

I am overrun with chipmunks and some squirrels. It is also the time of year that the mice are looking for somewhere warm. Usually it is live and let live as long as the mice aren't in the house where I have two useless cats.

Last week, went to start my mower and it sounded like a food processor. This is what I found.
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Time to take action. I had been storing the duck food in an old freezer but the jerks chewed the trim off. Fixed that and set traps. The very first night I got five mice but 2 of the traps had vanished. After a repeat the next night same thing so I set up the trail cam. Turns out a red squirrel was stealing the traps, dead mouse and all. Who knew that a squirrel would eat a dead mouse? I'm happy to provide dead mice if it would only return the traps. Somewhere in my woods there must be a squirrel nest lined with traps.
 

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