Well, we are almost settled in our new place. Friday night we officially were moved out of our old place, and were living amidst our boxes in our new place. Mike just set up our computer last night (hence the reason I haven't been online to post any pictures or news), so it feels a bit more like normal.
So...fire ants. Not nice. Canadians, don't worry...they will probably never venture that far northward because of the cold (I do miss winter specifically because it kills off the bugs!) Here is some of what Wikipedia has to say about fire ants, "Fire ants often attack small animals and can kill them. Unlike many other ants, which bite and then spray acid on the wound, fire ants only bite to get a grip and then sting (from the abdomen) and inject a toxic alkaloid venom (piperidine). For humans, this is a painful sting, which leaves a sensation similar to what one feels when they get burned by fire — hence the name fire ant — and the aftereffects of the sting can be deadly to sensitive individuals. The venom is both insecticidal and antibiotic....Red imported fire ants are more aggressive than most native ant species and have a painful sting. A person typically encounters them by inadvertently stepping into one of their mounds, which causes the ants to swarm up the person's legs, attacking en masse. The ants respond to pheromones that are released by the first ant to attack. The ants then swarm and immediately sting when any movement is sensed...Red imported fire ants are extremely resilient and have adaptations to contend with both flooding and drought conditions. If the ants sense increased water levels in their nests, they will come together and form a huge ball or raft that is able to float on the water, with the workers on the outside and the queen inside. Once the ball hits a tree or other stationary object, the ants swarm onto it and wait for the water levels to recede. To contend with drought conditions, their nest structure includes a network of underground foraging tunnels that extend down to the water table. Also, despite the fact that they do not hibernate during the winter, colonies can survive cold conditions as low as 16°F (−9°C)..." Okay, I know that was a lot of info...but despite being nasty pests, they are pretty smart. Okay, so why am I suddenly fascinated with fire ants? On Friday we came home from lunch, I went into the baby's room and killed a flying ant. Didn't think much of it. Then I looked at the window and notice 10 or so ants crawling around on the sill; some flying, some little red ones. I told Mike about it and we decided that we probably needed to have the pest control people come and spray our place soon. About 1/2 hour later, I went back in the room and there were hundred of ants crawling around in there. Mike had to leave, so I was left to deal with them until pest control arrived in two hours. I didn't want them crawling everywhere in the house, so I decided to plug the crack they were getting in through, and kill as many as I could. I sprayed the ants with window cleaner (it was all I had here...) The little ones disappeared back through the hole, and the winged ones couldn't move that well. I squashed them with an old papertowel roll. Then I plugged the hole with a wet papertowel to hinder any other trying to enter the house. I could see them swarming outside the window, but it appeared I had them under control.
When the Terminex guy arrived, I explained what I had done. I'm sure he thought I was an idiot, but frankly I didn't care what he thought. He looked at the dead ones and the few that were still crawling around and said that they were definitely swarming fire ants. Then he sprayed something around the window, injected some kind of goo into the crack, and went outside to tackle the nest. He said that they shouldn't be back as long as he could find the nest. So far, we haven't seen any new ones. I'm glad we came home when we did (and that they were in an empty room) because he said that they could be thousands of them in a few hours. So, for the first time in my life, I now own a can of Raid and a set of fire ant traps. Mike and I laughed one time because we saw a sign in WalMart that said "Fire Ant Killer" by the "Light Bulbs, Paint..." signs. Now we know why!
Other than that little incident, we have been very pleased with our new place. The one neighbor we have met is nice, other than the fact she smokes all the time. At least it's outside though. And the pool is only open June - Labor Day. That was very disappointing, especially considering the weather they have here...and the fact that it's filled with water and tempting us! But, we have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and more counter space and better lighting in the kitchen. All bonuses in my opinion!
I suppose Jesse has handled the move well enough, considering the stress of it all. But he has been a cranky boy through the ordeal. First it was the strangeness of being in a new place - he never wanted to be set down to even walk around! Then, he was upset because Mike was gone all the time, and the door was constantly opening and closing but Jesse couldn't run out it. So, when the guys brought a load over, Jesse and I would retreat to a closed bedroom and play while they carried stuff in. It's just been hard for him I think. But, now that we are getting settled in, and things are getting unpacked and looking a little more familiar I think he is doing much better. He will be very glad to have Mike around to play with him the next few days/weeks while we wait for the baby to be born.
So there you have it...that's what has been happening in our lives the past couple of days. There are a few more pictures on the dropshots site, but I will wait until we unpack a bit more before taking pictures of the apartment.
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