Danny...Actually, before setting baits, I was spraying with vinegar. When that didn't work, I relented, bought and set out traps. When I said I spayed vinager yesterday, in the upstairs bathroom, there were no baits in the room..nowhere upstairs. I was about to wash the sink, was in a hurry, so I sprayed with vinegar to kill visible ants, then get the sink cleaned. They don't like vinegar or Comet. When I checked later and today, there were a couple dying or dead ants. I have an idea where they're coming from in the kitchen, but not 100% certain. Especially, since I found a group behind the fridge.. Lord! It's impossible to check behind the ridge since it outweighs me; I can't move it..On the other side is the cooking stove. I fear moving the stove because the gas hose is only so long.. The instructions on bait boxes said not to use insecticides/sprays while using baits. I'm not spraying w/vinegar, 'in those areas.' Spraying would defeat the purpose since the object is for the ants who eat from the baits become host poison carriers. When they go back to feed other ants, or other ants eat from they poisoned ant/s, they too die. Did you mean to close/seal an opening with chalk or caulk? Either way, I wish it were that simple. Seems they're finding openings more than one place. We live in an old, wood/aluminum sided house. In fact, it was one of the first houses built on this street..Found this info from a library book. Around WW2, a few small, brick homes were erected..And I mean tiny, for soldiers who made it back home. This house was built prior to the brick homes, so that might give you an idea how long it's been around. At one time it was well-built. A tenant who lived here before the previous owner, went, umm, balistic. He intentionally made holes in the walls, scraped original hard-wood floors. He was evicted. The last owner bought and fixed it up. He made a huge profit. He used the cheapest crap wanna-be wood he could find. There's more, but I won't get into it. Since it was freshly painted, new carpeting, not to mention 27 windows, 'plants,' a sun room, and third bedroom with 6 windows, we jumped the gun and bought it. The Freddy Kruggar furnace should have been a clue of its age. Gas converted from coal. The door on the furnace says 1902 or 1906. I'd have to check, lol. Now you know the history of our house, Bet you deemed this short story, very interesting, lol.. YAWN Another thing..it doesn't help our neighbors have their homes exterminated regulalry. I truly believe, every creature in our neighborhood, finds our house. lol. However, I'll keep an eye out where these guys go. Then figure a way to block their entrance doorway. Glass Blower..did you have anything to do with the glass pieces displayed at Garfield Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens? Does your art involve glass? Paintings, drawings, music or something entirely different? If you feel it's personal, Danny, no need to answer. Toni All I know is I can't wait until these creatures are gone.

I agree with John. For the past 2 years, i used ant/flea/tick killer synthetics. Watched all the wildlife avoid my yard. I was sitting out back with my 2 year old daughter the other day, saw a few ant hills... Made sure they werent fire ants... bastads!! You wouldnt imagine the sheer happiness she and i had to see what seemed like a flock of cardinals feeding off the bugs in my lawn. Birds avoided my lawn in years past due to the chemicals that i laid down to control the ticks. Yes, it was very noticeable especially after the bird watching event me and the 2 yr old had ^^. On another note, you have to be persistent with any type of ant if you want to take em out. Theyll move and rebuild a smaller mound over and over the more you dwindle their numbers. Never seen a product that could fully knock them out in one app. Damien

Are they fire ants? If so, they're definitely not harmless! Vicious biting little devils are terrible for humans and animals alike. I use a multi-pronged approach when they invade my pile: 1. massive amounts of coffee grounds turned right into the nest. 2. water, water, water 3. harassment every day or so by stirring them up Eventually they get tired and/or mad and leave. Other folks have different methods. Looks like they'll be with us forever in Texas. Good luck!

imabirdnut, There is lots of info in the FAQ section of this forum for raising caterpillars. I purchased several containers of animal crackers from Sams, they are about 1-1/2 gallon in size, for the container, not the animal crackers! After emptying out the container, I cut holes almost the size of each side, leaving about and inch or so all around to attach screen (the cats need ventilation) and to have some sturdiness for the cage. I try to use a single length of screen, but if I don't have enough, I use pieces to cover the holes. I attach the screen with silicone (bathtub caulk) so that it is waterproof when I need to disinfect the cage after the butterflies have emerged. (It is important to disinfect your cages after the butterflies have emerged-especially the monarchs, they are susceptible to viruses and OE spore.) I raise as many as 20 cats in one container, then disinfect when all have left, or at least those that attached themselves to the cage walls. BSTs usually attach themselves to sticks that I place in the cage in pieces of floral styrofoam that will fit inside the opening. I purchased some miniature vases from WalMart, about 3" in height, and use these for supplying food to my cats. The water in the vase helps keep the food fresh and keeps the cats off the floor of the cage and out of their waste. Hope this helps and remember, you can always come back to the forum and ask any question. The people here are great about sharing information and experiences. Mechelle Mechelle