Attack of the Killer Paratrooper Fire Ants

E- Mail           Copy Write 10/25/2004©  Updated 2/13/2006            E- Mail

October 25 2004

In case you didn't know I been tearing up my house trying to get it ready for the contractors whom are too busy to even talk to me about fixing the damage caused by Ivan.

Today's schedule of fun was ripping out the ceiling and old insulation of the kitchen / dining room that spills over into part of the living room.

As I was moving stuff around I kept hearing these little voices telling me to "GO SAILING, GO SAILING, and GO SAILING ". This sounds like a reasonable thing to hear when the voices in your head are talking.
Just one problem, my boat is not in a sailing condition due to some stalled fix-er-uper stuff.
Hammer in hand on my ladder, dust mask and safety glasses I am ready!
The voices get just a bit louder, just barely more than a whisper. They start telling me "NO, NO, NO".
I am unsure of this situation. As the hammer hit home and punches thru the ceiling a red stain spreads out around the hole.
I am now really scared, I have hurt my house and it is bleeding.
All of a sudden the voices say "WE WILL GET YOU.

Hundreds of Fire Ants make the kamikaze dive from the ceiling toward my face.
I did manage to get off the ladder without falling.
Little ant parachutes everywhere!
Little ants everywhere!
And so the battle went all day, me and my hammer against the ants,
they were everywhere.
Just about the time I thought I had them all.
Another section of ceiling revealed they had fallen back and re- grouped.

I got battle scars today. Tomorrow it begins anew.

October 26 2004

Went back to the house today, started tearing out some ceiling on the north wall that I had to abandon due to heavy fighting yesterday.

I must have isolated a battalion yesterday and they failed to link up with the rest of their kind.

Once again I had to retreat from the North wall...

There is a wood frame header running across the ceiling separating the room. The header is framed in and the stuff needs to be removed. The main ceiling in the living room was undamaged, so it really did not need to come down. I wanted to chisel around the header removing the wire lath for the stucco.

Working the header I found them once again. This time they were ready. Only the bigger ants showed up. A few would scurry around looking at me and sticking their tongues out at me then duck back into the safety of the ceiling I really did not want to remove. I squashed a few just to show them who was boss.

Late in the day I tried a flanking maneuver back along the heavily defended north wall. It seems the ants pulled out as the remaining ceiling did not provide much cover. I was able to remove the last of that section and pull all the nails out of the joists.

A chemical attack was launched before leaving for the day. We had a three pack of insect foggers. I don't know how long they have been stuck in a closet, only found them by province or accident.

Stopped by Wal-Mart and purchased supplies
for the upcoming biological warfare maneuver code name
"Free Lunch"

So that is how it stands for now!

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