Ants!

We'll try again as the original post disappeared somewhere into the ether.

Maybe 4-5 days ago I discovered that there were ants indoors. As it happens, whether right or wrong I happened to have some Ant Powder so I sprinkled some that down where I suspected they were coming from but I now doubt that was correct. As its at ground level I cannot see it being much of a health problem.

Over the few nights after discovering this I have been there watching for them. I've seen 'em and killed plenty and in the end they really are few and far between but where are they coming from?

There are so few maybe the problem no longer exists but walking around the supermarket of all places yesterday I discovered something called Ant Stop - Bait Station. Its best described as what looks like a small plastic paperweight with tabs that you break off which exposes little holes in it.

The ants are attracted and eat whats inside and take back the contents back to their nest what is in the container and in turn that kills the rest of them. It is said to work within 3-6 days and the actual product can last up to 3 months.

And its safe.

Having got rid of so many only a few are visiting so either way I should be happy. They are fascinating creatures but not when indoors. It reminds me of those cartoons of Tom And Jerry where you see the Ants arrive when there is a picnic and they march off with all the food.

I have a friend that lives in California who feeds Hummingbirds that she is fortunate to have visiting the garden and there are special feeders you put out that contain some kind of sweet liquid that attracts the birds and yes, you've guessed it, unless you keep watching...ants too. The trouble is that the ants get caught up in the solution and cannot escape and when this happens the birds are no longer interested as its contaminated and so you have all the trouble of taking the feeding stations down, cleaning them, refilling them and putting them out again.

One of the best radio plays if you get the chance to hear it is Lennigan Vs The Ants from the 1950's Escape series in America starring William Conrad(Tv's Cannon The Private Eye)but many people will not realise he like many of the actors, producers and writers of the best television programmes from the late 40's through to the 80's brought their skills from radio and that's why it was so original and innovative. He also played Sheriff Matt Dillon for around ten years in the original radio version of Gunsmoke though again many will probably believe it was James Arness who played the part in the television series.

Many of these shows can be found around the net if you can access broadband by streaming or downloading.

American Radio was something special for around 40 years before it became mainly sports, phone-in/Talk and spinning records. Any country that manages to keep speech radio and in particular drama, documentaries, comedy and the like has something special and it deserves to be cherished and treasured.

But I digress...