…. would have been a good idea.
It was a rather productive day ’round these parts. After a trip to Concordia bookstore this morning Kristi & Joanna left us. It was so nice to see them again, and Joanna drew a lovely Thank-You picture for us.
Then I began The Eradication of The Carpenter Ants. We’ve known for over a decade that we have carpenter ants in the trees out back, but – as Brad always says – laziness always wins. So save your scolding, because I know this should have been done before now. Phase One involved squirting Terro liquid into the two gaping holes in the buckeye tree and beginning to fill them with mortar. (I happen to have a heap of mortar powder in the basement from tuck-pointing some bricks in the basement back in the 90’s. Yes, yes – cement would have been better, but remember that we’re not scolding today.) I could only fill them partway because it would drip out.
After an afternoon of various projects, errands & meetings, I bit the bullet and sprinkled Terro powder around the trees and holes. This is the Big Guns kind of stuff – the poison you have to wash off your hands. The cats won’t be going outside for a while.
Then, more mortar went in the holes.
There was still the issue of it dripping out a bit, but we solved that with some plastic wrap.
Yes, I washed my hand afterward. That’s Big Gun Poison, y’know. Now we’ll always remember the Day We Waited Too Long To Save The Trees.
Beth says
I LOVE that Joanna already does little curls at the end of her letters. As any little girl properly should. 😀
And. Sorry about your dead trees.
Brad says
I hope your tree survives. But if it crashes into your house, at least it’s on the opposite side of my bedroom.
Kristi says
Are you working at night so that the ants don’t know what you’re doing???
Lauren says
The second round happened around 9 (I had a meeting until 8:45 or so). I had a goal to be in bed by 10. Yay for early to bed!
Peggy says
I say let one tree die….more firewood!! Yay!!
Deanne says
Can you burn carpenter ant tainted wood? Or Terro tainted wood?
Lauren says
I can burn anything. 🙂
Kristi says
Hi, Mrs. Sommerer. This is Joanna. Thanks for letting us stay at your house and putting my picture on your page. I really like to play with your cat Pfennig. That’s a funny way to spell your cat’s name. Thanks again! Joanna
Michele says
What a coincidence -- you used an empty margarita bucket and I just finished a margarita!