Baby Broccoli

[ravvlet]

Oh, no.

OH NO.

We got rid of the gnats. Defeated them. Goodbye!

Then the rain started... and today ANTS appeared in my office and the living room (where we had windows open overnight to let in cool air).

I have thoroughly vaccuumed (I admit, I vacuum every other day in the bird room, they do toss food on the floor but with the kids needing to go to bed at the same time as the birds sometimes I run out of time) and ordered Terro traps, which my other parrot buddy swears by, for outside, as well as a couple indoor ones I am going to try to find places for where birdies and doggies and kitties don't go...

But this is Seattle. We have the most infuriating, stubborn, don't-look-at-explosions, apocalypse surviving ants. My ant free days may be numbered.

 

[LaManuka]

Oh, no.

OH NO.

We got rid of the gnats. Defeated them. Goodbye!

Then the rain started... and today ANTS appeared in my office and the living room (where we had windows open overnight to let in cool air).

I have thoroughly vaccuumed (I admit, I vacuum every other day in the bird room, they do toss food on the floor but with the kids needing to go to bed at the same time as the birds sometimes I run out of time) and ordered Terro traps, which my other parrot buddy swears by, for outside, as well as a couple indoor ones I am going to try to find places for where birdies and doggies and kitties don't go...

But this is Seattle. We have the most infuriating, stubborn, don't-look-at-explosions, apocalypse surviving ants. My ant free days may be numbered.

@ravvlet, I live in Brisbane, and our ants are the sub-tropical cousins of yours. I could dig a moat around my house and fill it with petrol and set it on fire and it wouldn't discourage 'em, particularly if it's lorikeet food that they're after. I always keep a bottle of bird lice/mite spray on standby - like this stuff that's available here, I'm sure there must be something similar up there ...

I've never used it on my birds, but by virtue of the fact that many folks do I figure it must be one of the safer insecticides to use around them. It doesn't stop ants from getting in my house, but when they DO get in, it kills 'em STONE DEAD!!!!!

 

[ravvlet]

@ravvlet, I live in Brisbane, and our ants are the sub-tropical cousins of yours. I could dig a moat around my house and fill it with petrol and set it on fire and it wouldn't discourage 'em, particularly if it's lorikeet food that they're after. I always keep a bottle of bird lice/mite spray on standby - like this stuff that's available here, I'm sure there must be something similar up there ...

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I've never used it on my birds, but by virtue of the fact that many folks do I figure it must be one of the safer insecticides to use around them. It doesn't stop ants from getting in my house, but when they DO get in, it kills 'em STONE DEAD!!!!!

Oh heck yeah. I will look into this. I decided against the indoor traps after all coz I read that they attract the ants TO THEM first so they bring the borax back to the nest, and I want less of them in the house, not more!

But the outdoor stakes I’m going to pepper the yard with, especially around the foundation.

 

[ravvlet]

Update, the outdoor traps (and sweeping every night, and then spraying the whole birdroom floor with dish soap & water) seems to be working! I am seeing less ants.

Meanwhile, Broccoli’s eye still has some redness, but no swelling…at fly day the event organizer (who has several conures herself) commented that he looked a bit squinty, so I think I’ll schedule a well check for both of the boys - Kirby is noticably rotund.

I had to take this one with my ipad, because the kids are using my phone to watch a movie in the bean bag chair, but little man joined in and keeps cuddling into the blankets or landing on their arms!

He really is such a great little guy.

 

[onamom]

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Playing the sims with Brocc and the kiddos- Broccoli thinks we have too many horses and not enough birds!

Oh my gosh I LOVE the Sims! I am a major Sim addict!

 

[ravvlet]

Oh my gosh I LOVE the Sims! I am a major Sim addict!

I keep using it instead of Google sketch up to do Skoolie build designs - I wanna convert a short bus to a bird and kid friendly camper to do summer road trips! Most of the builds I see though use propane, diesel or wood burning stoves to heat and I don’t want to risk it with the parrots - so it’s going to be a summers only vehicle if I can’t figure out how to heat in a safer way… maybe those portable gas heaters people tend to recommend here? Not sure how much power draw they have.

 

[ravvlet]

Also, no sign of ants today but I didn’t have time to vacuum thoroughly so I’m gonna risk waiting til morning to do it and see what happens…fingers crossed!!

 

[ravvlet]

Update - doing the floors every night with dish soap seems to be working. I have not seen a major incursion since! I even have been able to slow it down to 2-3 nights a week.

On other news, Broccoli went to fly day and I forgot to post about it. He did great; did several loops of the gym and even landed on a basketball hoop, but recalled to me every time. He DID try to make friends with *every single bird there* (they weren’t as pleased haha), which was cute but nerve wracking.

Meanwhile, his highness has started to bring me food, and it’s so gross, haha. He’s not regurgitating it - but in the evenings when I give them “dinner” (second chop) he will fly to me and drop food on my neck! Ugh. It’s so slimy and COLD.

 

[onamom]

Update - doing the floors every night with dish soap seems to be working. I have not seen a major incursion since! I even have been able to slow it down to 2-3 nights a week.

On other news, Broccoli went to fly day and I forgot to post about it. He did great; did several loops of the gym and even landed on a basketball hoop, but recalled to me every time. He DID try to make friends with *every single bird there* (they weren’t as pleased haha), which was cute but nerve wracking.

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Meanwhile, his highness has started to bring me food, and it’s so gross, haha. He’s not regurgitating it - but in the evenings when I give them “dinner” (second chop) he will fly to me and drop food on my neck! Ugh. It’s so slimy and COLD.

This “fly day” looks really cool!

Ona brings me food too haha She loves to take snacks to go and eat them on my shoulder.

 

[ravvlet]

Every time I declare victory, the ants come back!

Argh. Argh argh. More argh. They’re coming in through different baseboard. I am gonna clean and tape it and see if that holds them off.

 

[LaManuka]

Every time I declare victory, the ants come back!

Argh. Argh argh. More argh. They’re coming in through different baseboard. I am gonna clean and tape it and see if that holds them off.

Forget the moat full of burning petrol, how about ...

or even ...

There may, however, be some collateral damage!! Did I mention already that I hate ants??

 

[ravvlet]

Forget the moat full of burning petrol, how about ...

or even ...

There may, however, be some collateral damage!! Did I mention already that I hate ants??

I hate ‘em too, and we somehow avoided them for the first two years we lived here, but the reckoning has come for us!

On Broccoli news, little man is in trouble. My six year old likes to sit in my lap sometimes while I am working, and little man does NOT approve. Usually he is fine with the kids but if he’s on me and she climbs on my lap, he nips her. He left a bruise this time. I made him go sit on a playstand, and explained to her that he still loves her, but she is big and wiggly and scary, and biting is how he tells someone to go away. And I pointed out that she and her sister hit each other when they want the other to go away sometimes, and while it’s not ok, sometimes you don’t think things through.

She accepted this, but did make sure to go show off her “war wound” to everyone, haha. Oh, Broccoli. He is constantly all over me, making baby bird chirps, climbing into my clothes, etc. He’s fine with strangers too! Just apparently not when people are in my lap - my lap is reserved for him when I’m down here!

 

[ravvlet]

I can officially confirm Broccoli listens to, and understands English. I’ve been complaining about him using me as a toilet lately, and today I am poop free…

Instead, he ate a blueberry. On my shoulder. And rubbed it into my shirt.

 

[LaManuka]

I can officially confirm Broccoli listens to, and understands English. I’ve been complaining about him using me as a toilet lately, and today I am poop free…

Instead, he ate a blueberry. On my shoulder. And rubbed it into my shirt.

I have had several close encounters with blueberries, raspberries and blackberries lately, courtesy of Peachie sharing them with her dad. When I say "sharing" them, I mean she plucks them out of the dish he's eating them from and throws them over the side, either onto the chair he's sitting on or the floor. So far I've managed to avoid sitting on a stray one and getting a nice stain on my butt, but I'd suggest it's only a matter of time - and it'll probably be when I'm about to leave the house wearing something white!!!

 

[ravvlet]

We are still alive and kickin’ - including his highnesses Kirby and Broccoli!

 

[LaManuka]

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We are still alive and kickin’ - including his highnesses Kirby and Broccoli!

Awwwwwwwwww!! So good to see you @ravvlet, and your little green dude looking cuter than ever!!

 

[ravvlet]

The boys still can’t really be out together for long periods at home because Broccoli is an unrepentant shenanigans-starter when he’s bored, but at fly days they are best buds.

Kirby’s annual is coming up. Hoping it’s all good things. Wanted to pop in with a little update!

 

[LaManuka]

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The boys still can’t really be out together for long periods at home because Broccoli is an unrepentant shenanigans-starter when he’s bored, but at fly days they are best buds.

Kirby’s annual is coming up. Hoping it’s all good things. Wanted to pop in with a little update!

Baby Broccoli? A starter of shenanigans?? I find that VERY hard to believe, he's innocent I tells ya!