by Jan Fielden
You know that feeling when you get your yard cleaned up, just the way you want it? You sit on the porch and gaze upon it and think how beautiful it looks. The amount of work doesn’t mean anything anymore because it is so pretty. The birds sing their praises for it too, the squirrels come out and play in it. It is as if it is a wonderland all for you!
Sitting on the porch with The Colonel and enjoying the labors of love for the front yard and then I looked down and everything was ruined. Flat out ruined! Fire ants lots and lots of fire ants. Some had wings…the drones so they could escort the queen to a different place to build a new nest. They were absolutely everywhere; on the porch, on the ground, climbing up small stalks of grass, just everywhere.
I ran and got my ant poison, a white powder that I sprinkle on the mound and it kills them dead! The only problem with it is that we don’t let the Beagles in the front yard if I have sprinkled that poison until after it has sunk in. The Beagles are not too happy about that. The poison also smells bad and makes it unpleasant to sit on the porch.
Then I go down to the flower bed where the Cannas are planted along with the Irises. I noticed some Yellow Jackets flying around so I was careful not to get too close to them! They had built a nest down there and were about to take over the garden. So, I asked The Colonel if he would get rid of them for me and of course he said yes. He eradicated them, the fire ants died and now the yard is our wonderland again at The Red Oak Ranch.
