Monday, May 4, 2009

pb and j sandwich, Sherry?

My cat is licking up a glob of peanut butter from the plate that held my toast snack. Interesting. I did not know of this peanut butter interest.

those kooky critters

Gol darnit! Every year I have successfully headed off the annual attempt by the ants to infiltrate my apartment. I'd read that the first ants are scouts, so I mercilessly kill the first dudes I see each year.

But this year... the scouts got passed me. And while I was away at Swissgirl's, they discovered the Sweetener Cupboard! The cupboard where we keep the sugar pot, the agave, and the molasses. I've been meaning to clean the bottom of that one shelf for awhile, because the agave bottle always burps out a little syrup when you close the lid, so the shelf is sticky.

I believe these are black carpenter ants. The good news: They do a lot of their work at night, which is when we're awake... so I can keeell them (or make Fernando keell them. I can keell with shoes and books, but don't care for the hand-t0-hand combat approach.)

Bad news: They're omniverous.

- grains: nooooo!
- fruits: I'd better stick the raisins and craisins in the fridge
- living or dead insects, other small invertebrates: Oh yes, got other insects around this place. (Don't click on the next links unless you like bug pics.) Silverfish and carpet bugs. (Ew and they eat their own dead kind too!)
- common sweets such as syrup, honey, jelly, sugar : Doh! All in my fridge now.
- and most kinds of meat, grease, and fat: Soft cat food remnants! Curses! And gotta make sure the olive and canola oils are safe.

* Apparently they eat the food on the spot, then regurgitate it into little baby ant mouths.

* Man... soon it will be fruit fly season too! Well, at least I've never heard tell of cockroach problems here.

* Writing about ants gives me "formification" (the sensation of bugs crawling on you.)

* They bite!

Crazy ants. Go away!

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