50 thoughts on “July 5, 2015: I’m Gideon All the Time”
I didn't get time to finish Minor Details before needing to leave for church, so it won't be up until this afternoon.
We left DG's at 7:30 MST in the morning yesterday and pulled into my dad's place in Blue Earth this morning at 2:30. So many fields, Citizens. So many fields...
I am guessing Pelfrey will get two more starts before he trades places with May.
I'd be surprised at that, not that I haven't been surprised before. It seems like when Pelfrey loses it, he loses it really fast.
Anyone have any recommendations for dealing with ants or mosquitoes (other than "remove water")?
Mosquitos no, but I've dealt with ants before by pouring a vinegar solution near where they're coming in. That and calling an exterminator.
I will try the vinegar. We bought a whole bunch for cleaning anyway, so that's readily available. Thanks.
The lawn was kept up "well enough" while the house sat empty, but that "well enough" allowed ants to take over a lot of areas. There's also a small grove with a few trees and much buckthorn in the back, and that's clearly the source of many, many mosquitoes. Whenever I go near it, they swarm, and then follow me across the yard. I'm going to have to get in there sooner rather than later, and I'll invest in some high-quality bug spray to do so. But yikes. They are something else.
Never heard of using vinegar.
get a container of boric acid (powder). Pretty low toxicity for pets and kids, pretty effective on ants.
Also, we've had pretty good luck with Terro brand liquid bait traps. Active ingredient is sodium tetraborate ( a salt of boric acid; Borax).
In the lawn or in the house?
Inside, Terro's never let me down.
In the lawn... all that occurs to me is dig a hole in the entrance and pour some Terro down it?
For mosquitos, Yard Gard works pretty well for brief applications (like a party). I think it's pretty restricted now, can't risk getting it in streams or ponds.
Otherwise...1. 3M's Ultrathon 12-hour repellant. Apply to kids and self. Re-apply well before 12 hours is up.
2. Various topical treatments for bites. Caladryl, Solarcaine, StingEze Max2 stick, Benadryl Cream and Gel. My wife applies Lipton Tea bags to the little girls' bites; I really don't notice that helping other than the cool, wet compress soothing the skin.
3. I have not investigated Permethrin spray for clothing much, but if things get worse, I will. I know that one does not apply to skin, but uses it to make clothing impenatrably poisonous to insects and other arthropods (like ticks... I had a Deer Tick bite last weekend in Washington County at Scout Camp. No symptoms of Lyme Disease yet though).
Alternative name for StingEze is Skeeter Stik. That's what we used when I was a kid and the name I still use for it.
Are you on a slab? have a basement? or crawl space?
If the first, like me, you can go around the house with the boric acid, putting down a bead in the crack between house and slab.
Terro also sells outdoor bait stations. You can try ringing the house with those. Not sure that I would pour it on the ground. Just look for trails of ants and put a bait station in their path.
In the lawn -- who cares about ants? They aren't a bother until they get in the house/garage. Unless they are fire ants or summat.
Slab or crawl space?? How long have you been living outside of MN?
I left in 1986.
Our first house in Illinois had a basement; second house a crawl space. The subdivision we live in here in NorCal is all on slabs.
I knew of very few basements in CA. I also knew of very few non-basements in MN.
Our area has very heavy clay soil and a "rainy" season. In Illinois, we also had lots of heavy clay and a high water table.
also, this, which I found interesting and plausible:
But the third answer may be more convincing given the way of the world: building codes. In fact, the question might be better framed, why do houses up north all have basements? The answer would be that building codes require the house’s footing to be below the frost line, so as long as you’re digging down there you might as well make it a basement -otherwise you have to step down to your first floor.
Mostly in the yard. The reason I care, to respond to Zombieman, is the sheer volume. Like I said, yard was kept up well enough, without really being tended to. The problem is on the cusp of claiming patches of lawn.
Had them in one spot in the house, but had already baited and sealed that, and it seems to have done the trick.
I will definitely be investing in strong repellant for the purposes of removing buckthorn. Usually try to go naturalish, but there will be none of that when I tackle that project. After spending a short amount of time out there today, my attitude has become "Screw that touchy-feely crap! We'll take the harsh antacids."
Wait for a cool, breezy day to attack the buckthorn. Mosquitos key in on our scent and thus more sweat = more bites.
Heh. I've been told for effectiveness in removing buckthorn, pick a very hot day.
I don't understand.
I've read something about applying poison to the stumps, but I pull them out of the ground.
The poison method was recommended to me. I don't know enough about what I don't know to have a preference.
To quote a very smart man: ● Buckthorn! You're a horrible plant and I hate you. I'd rather have poison ivy. Just let the grape vines kill you. Die already.
My process for buckthorn removal follows the U of M Extension's recommendations and has proven effective.
1. Anything small enough that you can manually pull out of the ground - usually seedlings up to about .5" - .75" - put on a pair of work gloves to protect hands & prevent slippage (bark can slide off), grasp as close to the ground as you can, and pull straight up with steady pressure.
2. If it's too big to pull manually, but not big enough to cut (and if you have a significant number of these) rent a weed wrench like this.
3. If you must cut it and won't have access to a stump grinder, cut it as close the ground as possible and treat the freshly cut stump with herbicide. If you don't, you'll get sprouts from the stump that are a pain (must be cut/can't be pulled due to extensive root from formerly large shrub).
Please share more brilliance from that quoted man.
Another smart man followed up: Re: Buckthorn[.] This sounds like the makings of a Cub Scout service/ecology project. I'll chop up some buckthorn for the cause. Kids'll have all the sticks they could ever dream of whittling.
I wonder what plant the first smart man sought out for a marshmallow-roasting stick at a Cub Scout camp with the second smart man.
I should be out pulling some buckthorn right now or going for a bike ride, but we were outside all day yesterday until 10pm. (Building potato guns.)
I just want to be cool today.
Funny, we spent all day shooting potato guns.
I just want to be cool today.
Turn on the A.C.
A.C. is on, I was expressing desire to remain in its reach.
Anyone have any recommendations for dealing with ants or mosquitoes (other than "remove water")?
Kill them with fire.
speaking of staying cool, I spent 5 hours this morning helping the music boosters break down their fireworks booth*. I. am. tired.
*by law in Cali, only charitable organizations can sell (safe-and-sane) fireworks to the general public, in partnership with one of the distributors. One booth per 3,000 residents, IIRC. We have 19 booths in town, so the competition for business is pretty heavy. The sponsor group gets 50 pct of the revenue, but has to pay various expenses out of its share, including sales tax and various permits and fees. In a good year, our booster club will clear $10k or more, which gets plowed back into grants to music teachers, scholarships, what have you. Both of my kids got scholarships from the boosters, so I'm kinda doing payback.
First Canadian blueberries, now strict and complicated fireworks laws? You Californians really do hate America.
USA!
I hope its not going to be 80 minutes of the soccer version of the neutral zone trap.
Guess not. WOW!
Yeah, Jeebus. I went to start grilling, turned around and it was 2-0. Sat outside to eat and it was 4-0. I've also managed to miss all five goals.
That's why God invented the DVR.
I can't believe what I'm watching.
This is just an exhibition game, right?
This match is nutso.
There is probably 3 more goals to be score before the final whistle.
In the interest of entertainment, I would like two of those to be from Japan.
This shit, I dare say, is bananas.
I do find it funny that the U.S. has scored six of the seven goals.
I could only start watching at the 87th minute so how'd the own goal happen?
It was on a Japan free kick from fairly far out. It went into the box and one of the U.S. players (don't remember who) tried to head it out, but it went to the right corner of the goal instead. Solo couldn't get there in time.
Johnston
It'd be super sappy if Abby got a goal. And no promises I wouldn't get misty.
I didn't get time to finish Minor Details before needing to leave for church, so it won't be up until this afternoon.
We left DG's at 7:30 MST in the morning yesterday and pulled into my dad's place in Blue Earth this morning at 2:30. So many fields, Citizens. So many fields...
I am guessing Pelfrey will get two more starts before he trades places with May.
I'd be surprised at that, not that I haven't been surprised before. It seems like when Pelfrey loses it, he loses it really fast.
For those wanting to watch the World Cup. Twins showing their game at 1 and World Cup at 6. http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/07/04/womens-world-cup
Steady improvement of Gibson.
So... now that I'm a homeowner...
Anyone have any recommendations for dealing with ants or mosquitoes (other than "remove water")?
Mosquitos no, but I've dealt with ants before by pouring a vinegar solution near where they're coming in. That and calling an exterminator.
I will try the vinegar. We bought a whole bunch for cleaning anyway, so that's readily available. Thanks.
The lawn was kept up "well enough" while the house sat empty, but that "well enough" allowed ants to take over a lot of areas. There's also a small grove with a few trees and much buckthorn in the back, and that's clearly the source of many, many mosquitoes. Whenever I go near it, they swarm, and then follow me across the yard. I'm going to have to get in there sooner rather than later, and I'll invest in some high-quality bug spray to do so. But yikes. They are something else.
Never heard of using vinegar.
get a container of boric acid (powder). Pretty low toxicity for pets and kids, pretty effective on ants.
Also, we've had pretty good luck with Terro brand liquid bait traps. Active ingredient is sodium tetraborate ( a salt of boric acid; Borax).
In the lawn or in the house?
Inside, Terro's never let me down.
In the lawn... all that occurs to me is dig a hole in the entrance and pour some Terro down it?
For mosquitos, Yard Gard works pretty well for brief applications (like a party). I think it's pretty restricted now, can't risk getting it in streams or ponds.
Otherwise...1. 3M's Ultrathon 12-hour repellant. Apply to kids and self. Re-apply well before 12 hours is up.
2. Various topical treatments for bites. Caladryl, Solarcaine, StingEze Max2 stick, Benadryl Cream and Gel. My wife applies Lipton Tea bags to the little girls' bites; I really don't notice that helping other than the cool, wet compress soothing the skin.
3. I have not investigated Permethrin spray for clothing much, but if things get worse, I will. I know that one does not apply to skin, but uses it to make clothing impenatrably poisonous to insects and other arthropods (like ticks... I had a Deer Tick bite last weekend in Washington County at Scout Camp. No symptoms of Lyme Disease yet though).
Alternative name for StingEze is Skeeter Stik. That's what we used when I was a kid and the name I still use for it.
Are you on a slab? have a basement? or crawl space?
If the first, like me, you can go around the house with the boric acid, putting down a bead in the crack between house and slab.
Terro also sells outdoor bait stations. You can try ringing the house with those. Not sure that I would pour it on the ground. Just look for trails of ants and put a bait station in their path.
In the lawn -- who cares about ants? They aren't a bother until they get in the house/garage. Unless they are fire ants or summat.
Slab or crawl space?? How long have you been living outside of MN?
I left in 1986.
Our first house in Illinois had a basement; second house a crawl space. The subdivision we live in here in NorCal is all on slabs.
I knew of very few basements in CA. I also knew of very few non-basements in MN.
Interesting.
Apparently, it's a dry country thing to have slab construction.
Our area has very heavy clay soil and a "rainy" season. In Illinois, we also had lots of heavy clay and a high water table.
also, this, which I found interesting and plausible:
Mostly in the yard. The reason I care, to respond to Zombieman, is the sheer volume. Like I said, yard was kept up well enough, without really being tended to. The problem is on the cusp of claiming patches of lawn.
Had them in one spot in the house, but had already baited and sealed that, and it seems to have done the trick.
I will definitely be investing in strong repellant for the purposes of removing buckthorn. Usually try to go naturalish, but there will be none of that when I tackle that project. After spending a short amount of time out there today, my attitude has become "Screw that touchy-feely crap! We'll take the harsh antacids."
Wait for a cool, breezy day to attack the buckthorn. Mosquitos key in on our scent and thus more sweat = more bites.
Heh. I've been told for effectiveness in removing buckthorn, pick a very hot day.
I don't understand.
I've read something about applying poison to the stumps, but I pull them out of the ground.
The poison method was recommended to me. I don't know enough about what I don't know to have a preference.
To quote a very smart man:
● Buckthorn! You're a horrible plant and I hate you. I'd rather have poison ivy. Just let the grape vines kill you. Die already.
My process for buckthorn removal follows the U of M Extension's recommendations and has proven effective.
1. Anything small enough that you can manually pull out of the ground - usually seedlings up to about .5" - .75" - put on a pair of work gloves to protect hands & prevent slippage (bark can slide off), grasp as close to the ground as you can, and pull straight up with steady pressure.
2. If it's too big to pull manually, but not big enough to cut (and if you have a significant number of these) rent a weed wrench like this.
3. If you must cut it and won't have access to a stump grinder, cut it as close the ground as possible and treat the freshly cut stump with herbicide. If you don't, you'll get sprouts from the stump that are a pain (must be cut/can't be pulled due to extensive root from formerly large shrub).
Please share more brilliance from that quoted man.
Another smart man followed up:
Re: Buckthorn[.] This sounds like the makings of a Cub Scout service/ecology project. I'll chop up some buckthorn for the cause. Kids'll have all the sticks they could ever dream of whittling.
I wonder what plant the first smart man sought out for a marshmallow-roasting stick at a Cub Scout camp with the second smart man.
I should be out pulling some buckthorn right now or going for a bike ride, but we were outside all day yesterday until 10pm. (Building potato guns.)
I just want to be cool today.
Funny, we spent all day shooting potato guns.
Turn on the A.C.
A.C. is on, I was expressing desire to remain in its reach.
Anyone have any recommendations for dealing with ants or mosquitoes (other than "remove water")?
Kill them with fire.
speaking of staying cool, I spent 5 hours this morning helping the music boosters break down their fireworks booth*. I. am. tired.
*by law in Cali, only charitable organizations can sell (safe-and-sane) fireworks to the general public, in partnership with one of the distributors. One booth per 3,000 residents, IIRC. We have 19 booths in town, so the competition for business is pretty heavy. The sponsor group gets 50 pct of the revenue, but has to pay various expenses out of its share, including sales tax and various permits and fees. In a good year, our booster club will clear $10k or more, which gets plowed back into grants to music teachers, scholarships, what have you. Both of my kids got scholarships from the boosters, so I'm kinda doing payback.
First Canadian blueberries, now strict and complicated fireworks laws? You Californians really do hate America.
USA!
I hope its not going to be 80 minutes of the soccer version of the neutral zone trap.
Guess not. WOW!
Yeah, Jeebus. I went to start grilling, turned around and it was 2-0. Sat outside to eat and it was 4-0. I've also managed to miss all five goals.
That's why God invented the DVR.
I can't believe what I'm watching.
This is just an exhibition game, right?
This match is nutso.
There is probably 3 more goals to be score before the final whistle.
In the interest of entertainment, I would like two of those to be from Japan.
This shit, I dare say, is bananas.
I do find it funny that the U.S. has scored six of the seven goals.
I could only start watching at the 87th minute so how'd the own goal happen?
It was on a Japan free kick from fairly far out. It went into the box and one of the U.S. players (don't remember who) tried to head it out, but it went to the right corner of the goal instead. Solo couldn't get there in time.
Johnston
It'd be super sappy if Abby got a goal. And no promises I wouldn't get misty.
That backup keeper for Japan is hella tall.