My weekend compost turning activities turned sour when I realized I was covered with fire ants. It seems the second compost bin is one huge fire ant nest. There was a bite or two going from bin three to bin four. When I got half way through going from bin three to bin two, the pain began. My clothes were scattered all over the back yard, I was wearing my birthday suit by the time I got to the back door. The shower washed the ants off; but the pain remained.
All the clothes were sprayed with ant & roach spray and left in the garage. Even lotion did not stop the burning and itching. Fortunately the shed contains some Spectracide Fire Ant Mound Destroyer. Every bin was treated and two other mounds that were in the backyard. The fire ants died (I hope). The pain remained all day.
The good news is that I have so much compostable material that I had to set up a temporary bin. If the fire ants are dead, the bins will be turned and the material in the temporary bin will go into the accumulation bin. Do you suppose the poison will hurt the plants in the garden? Most of the compost in process now will be put into raised beds that will not be planted until spring.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
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