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I hate cockroaches. Had them in New York (almost all of Manhattan is built on them and if they ever left, the city would crumble) and whenever I see one I run screaming from the room, which fortunately is NEVER as I don't live in NYC anymore. We do have occasional infestations of earwigs, which in my opinion look exactly like cockroaches, so when one of those appears, I just quietly leave the room, altho' the first one made me yelp. I really loathe anything that moves "en masse", so to speak -- in NY there were always masses of them (and I mean MASSES), hence my post-exposure phobia. [[[[shudder]]]
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Hey jingle, this is supposed to be about your FAVORITE things, not creepy crawly things lol. I've never had any experience with roaches, but I'm right with you on the earwigs, any bug that can run away after you cut it in half is just too gross!
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I fixated on Central's mention of spiders, of which I used to be deathly afraid but long since left that particular phobia behind. OK, I love chocolate cake, cats (any cat), Beatrix Ost, my kids, my grandkids, Christmas, and style, in no particular order. Or perhaps in some order depending on my mood.

My mum died in 2001 and I think about her a lot, and sometimes despair of the way I treated her and the way she treated me -- that haunts me, I think. My dad died in 1997, a true alcoholic to the end. I don't know why I'm even saying this except that it's three o'clock in the morning and I'm a bit lonely. But my kids are coming for Christmas so that's three of my favourite things right there! :)
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And count your blessings if you've never had any experience with cockroaches. Hideous things. [[[[blargh]]]]
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jinglbts, I soooo agree about cockroaches - hideous Stinky things that actually Flies or Runs towards you - when you turn on the light or try to swat it. I'm curious about the NY roaches. Are they like at least 1 inches in length, thick black wings, and can fly very very fast (faster than my eyes can track it - until I feel something land on my clothes - and you see me jumping and waving my clothes trying to get it off.) I'm more afraid of roaches than spiders and indoor lizards (geckos).

Oh, my favorite things are books, books and books...
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I don't think the NYC cockroaches fly (good lord I hope not), but they are at least one inch long and there were *hoards* of them in one place we lived. Fortunately we didn't live at that address very long. Once we moved and I found them in my suitcase and in the sofa.

I forgot to mention -- I'm with you on the book thing -- now I see why your userid is bookluvr! I love cats and once had two named Jingles and Boots, hence my userid.
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I have a cockroach story. I was looking for something in my junk drawer and there was this huge cockroach in there. So I sprayed it but suddenly saw to my horror that it had babies. You know those lint removers that have the sticky strips you pull off. Well there were all these dead baby cockroaches stuck to it.

I had noticed occasionally a little bug on my kitchen counter but just killed it and moved on. Turns out it was baby cockroaches Yuck!
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Favorite things - the fragrance of evergreens in cooler weather. Wandering through a lot full of freshly cut evergreens ready for sale.

Hot chocolate after being outside in a blustery, windy day when the wind chills plunge down into the teens.

Waiting for gardening catalogues to start arriving right around Christmas.
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New favorite: pest control using lint rollers. Would it work for ants if they ever came back? Remembering something old-fashioned, they were called fly strips? Something sticky hung up to catch flies? Anyone remember?
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Hot chocolate.
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Have yourselves a Merry little Christmas!
Let it snow, baby...let it reindeer.
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I was suppose to sleep early tonight. I'm not a Chad Prather hardcore fan. I do like most of his videos. And I will admit, he is very, very easy to the eyes (as in handsome) ... before he started growing the facial hair. Tonight, I watched several of his new videos, laughed on some, Yes! On others, etc...

He's a straight shooter... when it comes to political correctness, disciplining children, etc... I rewatched it....
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I'd never heard of Chad Prather, very amusing, I'll have to watch a few more of his videos! I also spent time this morning shopping on amazon trying to find something useful that ships to Canada for under $25, all in all not a bad way to waste time ;)
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Send, I remember fly strips. I believe there were also flea traps with sticky paper that would trap the fleas when they got onto it.

I think they could work for ants, but the ants would have to be channeled (rather, "tempted") onto the strips. My experience with ants is that they like to travel, all over, wherever they want to go in search of either water or food.

That's a good idea though. I think I'll try it by putting some water in a small tin or tuna fish can and let the ants get trapped on the sticky stuff. You could also make a trap of duct tape overlapped to create a solid border.

I've had ant problems periodically and have one now since the weather has been so warm. They also seem to come inside when the neighbor cuts branches and piles them up on the side of her yard, fairly close to the setback line of my property.

The best method I've found for eradicating ants is the mixture of 20 mule team borax (I think the invisible mules stomp on the ants), sugar and water. I can't find the specific proportions right now because McAfee is on holiday break and isn't advising which googled sites are safe (I don't visit any websites that aren't marked safe).

What I found worked best was to use 2 throw-away dishes, one with a borax and sugar "moat", with a smaller can or dish in the center, containing the water. The ants had to cross the moat in order to get to the water, tracking through the borax and taking it back to the nests.

I used it one day on the tiny kitchen ants. Put it out, next day there must have been 70 or 80 or more little tiny ants crawling around an area of about 14" by 14". Next day, even less. That was a few years ago and no little ants have been in that area since.
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You can still get fly papers in old-fashioned hardware stores. They do nothing for your décor, but they are the only completely safe and non-toxic control - assuming you can get over the shivers once they've been in action for a week or so and look like a Hieronymus Bosch depiction of insect purgatory. In the olden days they were laced with arsenic, but the modern ones are just very sticky and apparently contain some kind of irresistible fly pheromone to attract the little brutes.

With ants, the only really effective answer is to trace and destroy the nest - if it's accessible, boiling water in large quantities and try not to think about karma; if it isn't, use powder on their main traffic routes - individuals track the poison back into the nest and it will eventually reach the queen, which is the key goal. Tricky if it's under the foundations, of course...
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It always sucks when the ants mount a counter attack. You know, with their shields at the ready. Guns ablazing! Screaming Viva la ants!
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Gershun, isn't it a little early out there to be into the holiday punch....an ant counter attack? smh
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This is becoming humorous - CM with her graphic descriptions of a Bosch purgatory crawling with ants instead of pathetic humans (I never could look at his paintings for more than a few seconds - they were ghastly), Gershun with her description of an ant brigade on the offensive (I'm visualizing Delacroix's Liberty Leading the Ants), and CWillie with her insight into Gershun's nips at the holiday drinks.

Keep it up - I'm in a much better mood just from having visualized your graphic descriptions!
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I've not been drinking......just probably seen too many Raid bug spray commercials:)
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Now I'm having visions of scenes from some of those cheap horror flicks of angry ants on the move, maybe singing "Onward, angry ants, marching off to war!" Disgusting but fascinating species in their highly regulated and caste-driven societies.

That could certainly describe those miserable fire ants or whatever they're called that attack in formation and wipe out crops and whatever else is in their way.

Maybe they're the ones that trained the ISIS nuts.

And no, like Gershun I haven't been drinking, not watching bug spray commercials, but for some reason remembering some of more graphic horror movies over the years.

Time to read some more gardening magazines and get normal again.
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Garden, instead of reading, get yourself up and outside! Look for ants if you want, but everyone, get outside! Open all the windows, clear out the toxic indoor air,
get up, get out!
Breathe deep.
Me too, going now. Really, really I am.
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I think all youse guys have been breathing too much bug spray. Try vodka or Valium. Probably healthier.
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Windy, that reminds me that every few years or so I have a little glass of champagne or cold duck while watching a New Years Eve ball broadcast from Vienna....in the comfort of my house, wrapped up in quilts and big thick socks.
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Outside was cold and kinda grey, stormy clouds look beautiful and ominous. There were no visible ants, must be hibernating.
Aired out the whole house with open windows, fans, central fan, for 30 minutes.
Has anyone read that the inside air can be more toxic than outdoors?
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A glass of champagne every few years? Party on girl!
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Yeah, I'm the original party girl. Half a glass of champagne or wine and I fall asleep in 1/2 an hour. That's my big indulgence! Oh, well, there was chocolate, but I'm having to give that up..
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Garden, giving up chocolate? Please explain, do you need some money or something? Are you sick? Is it really true that chocolate allows the sphincter at the esophagus to open? For that, I just eat less, and earlier in the day. Give up chocolate??? Noooooo!
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Sendme the sphincter?..............really????? Oh, you mean the esophagus .....
Ahhhhh.
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Gershun: There is a sphincter at the top of the esophagus. From Wikipedia: The upper esophageal sphincter (UES) is a bundle of muscles at the top of the esophagus.

CM: You can even by flypaper in new-fashioned hardware stores. Our local Canadian Tire has it.
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Hi Everyone! I just want to wish everyone a happy holiday season - Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Joy Noel, Happy Hanukkah, etc. I just love all the topics and humor on this site! Sometimes things are sad, but there is almost always a bright side, and everyone on this site is so willing to share their stories and advice. Thanks to you all, and God bless us everyone!
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