FIRE ANTS

[Doughknob]

Yep, no black widows either up north here!

 

[workinonit]

A long time ago, a friend here in MS had relatives that ran cattle. They were getting frustrated with the county agent, who wasn't helping with their fire ant problem quickly enough. They mentioned it to a relative who is an entomologist. He asked them how much they were paying their vet to de-tick the cows, and said that if they left the fire ants alone, they wouldn't have the de-ticking expense. Supposedly, they now ban the county agent from spreading ant poison. No way to know the veracity of that tale, but I can say that I've had tick problems in some areas of my rural residential property, and when fire ant nests appear in those areas, the ticks disappear....

I now kill the ants when they're around walking areas, or if there will be a lot of people in the yard, but otherwise, I leave them alone.

If we didn't spray Regent my place would look like a mine field of ant beds. I presently spray about 10 acres and am thinking of spraying more. With fire ants as bad as they get in the southeast you can't even function on your property. My place has been ant free for about ten years now.

 

[5030]

As so far at the tick control for here, will add that after nearly all the pine trees were removed the dogs stayed nearly tick free

My wife found out that porcupines eat ticks. I used to eliminate them but now the wife won't let me. Ugly things.

 

[mk2133]

Anyone have good ideas on what to do about fire ants. I think I have a mound every 6 feet in my pasture. You hay guys in the south have to have something.

I pour diesel around the mound and they are gone the next day. Don't have to light it on fire.

 

[Torvy]

Yep, no black widows either up north here!

Northern Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus variolus): Facts, Bite, Size, Identification, & Pictures

Northern Black Widow Spider description (adult female, male size, color, egg sack), are they poisonous/dangerous, do they bite, images

spideridentifications.com

Might want to look more carefully. They are up north, too.

 

[Doughknob]

Northern Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus variolus): Facts, Bite, Size, Identification, & Pictures

Northern Black Widow Spider description (adult female, male size, color, egg sack), are they poisonous/dangerous, do they bite, images

spideridentifications.com

Might want to look more carefully. They are up north, too.

Not where i am. Or in any of the 3 other states up north where i have lived. Geez.

 

[Torvy]

Not where i am. Or in any of the 3 other states up north where i have lived. Geez.

Sorry, your profiles says Ohio and Black Widows are there according to the science. Just want you to be careful. Probably will not kill you unless you are otherwise compromised or a small child.

 

[Doughknob]

Sorry, your profiles says Ohio and Black Widows are there according to the science. Just want you to be careful. Probably will not kill you unless you are otherwise compromised or a small child.

They are not where i am in oh. Or where i was in 3 other states.

 

[lman]

I've never heard of any around here in northern Indiana.
Distribution and Range

The black widow spiders can be found in all the continents except Antarctica. In North America, the black widow spiders can be found in the United States and Canada. In the US, they are found in all the four southwestern deserts (Great Basin, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Mojave). They can also be found in Florida and Texas. In Canada, there are two species of black widow spiders. The western back widow spiders inhabit part of the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia through to Manitoba where they are restricted to the southern border with the US. The northern black widow spiders are commonly found in eastern and southern Ontario. In Europe, the black widow spider is mainly found along the Mediterranean while in Africa the spider can be found on Cape Verde Island and southern Africa.

 

[workinonit]

Wherever that came from is not helpful. We are infested with them in SC.