A pox of ants sits upon our house.

[ladyattercop]

I don't know how many people read this blog because of Strange Fiction, but if you've read the comic at any time during the past five months, you've noticed my productivity slide firmly down into nothingness. I haven't been able to draw lately. I find myself utterly unable to do anything beyond a small doodle

Comments

[ariandar]

Are they those teeeeeensy little fuckers that no amount of caulk can keep out of the windows and crevices? We've got them too. Right now, the cat dishes have to live in moats (a sandwich plate with water in it) so they don't infest their food.

[ladyattercop]

These are a bigger than the buggers you have. If they're the same species we had at my office a few months ago, then they're called "white footed ants" (I think). We're in the middle of a terrible drought right now, so I think they're coming inside to get the water in the sink it. That's where they like to commune: the sink. At the moment, they're ignoring the dog & cat food, and crumb-filled toaster oven.

I've been using ground cloves to cover their trails and keep them away from the sink, but you can only keep your counters covered with spice for so long. d-: I've found a couple of recommendations for baiting them using Borax and sugar water, so we'll see how that goes.

Believe it or not, we don't have any of those teeny, tiny little fuckers in our home... at the moment. We call sugar ants down here, but they're actually pharaoh ants (thank you Google). They're also right pains in the asses, because nothing kills those little bastards! I've microwaved them before (don't ask), and they weren't even fazed. You just can't

[ariandar]

Ugh! Disgusting... It's like they can pass through solid things. How the fuck do they do it?

I'm going to try planting marigolds under those windows AND possibly borax and sugar, if that doesn't help. I want to avoid telling the landlord, because I know he'll use chemicals. Yick.

[ladyattercop]

Oh my god, I know! I'm not squeamish nor am I easily grossed out, but when I read that bit about the ants being *inside* surgical wounds, I shuddered. That's grade A nightmare fuel right there. Bleh!

I don't want to tell my landlord either, because of fear of whatever spray they're going to use. I'm not too keen on the chemicals being around our furry babies, let alone myself. I'll let you know how the Borax + sugar water + cotton balls baits work out. Although, I'm not sure they'd kill your little bastards. They'd probably just carry the baits back to the nest and have a feast.

[moucho_blasto]

awwww :(

I read your LJ cos of SF....and cos you sound interesting. Its ok, quality not quantiy and all that. :)

I do hope you feel better.... look at it this way, you get goth points for genuine angst. ;)

[ladyattercop]

I only sound interesting online. In Real Life (tm), I'm much more boring. ^_~ Thanks for understanding and the well wishes. It makes me breath slightly easier to know the fans aren't plotting revenge in the absence of SF.

"...look at it this way, you get goth points for genuine angst. ;)"

Oh, I could *totally* show those little emo kids how angst is properly done. d-:

[threnodythefop]

I read your LJ cause you kick ass. Kind of why I started reading Strange Fiction, to be honest.

Strange fiction is your hobby, not your profession. Draw what you can, when you can. Nobody can ask any more than that.

I sympathise on the food issue. I swear to god, if food prices go up anymore, I'm going freegan.

[ariandar]

Now you have to explain to me what freegan is, thren (it's Luna, btw, with a different LJ username).

[threnodythefop]

freegans are people who dumpster dive and otherwise employ alternative methods of food aquisition...among other things. You can get all kinds of cool shit on garbage nights.

Also associated with guerrila gardening.

[ladyattercop]

Is guerrilla gardening where you run onto public land and plant the rutabagas of rebellion? ^.~

I would try gardening as a viable food substitute, but I kill plants. So far, I've got an onion on my windowsill that sprouted leaves that has survived my attempts to "nurture" it, and a random two leaf plant in my kitchen that I haven't slaughtered yet.

Anything more advanced will die, and die horribly, under my care.

[anonymous]

I read because of SF, I'm glad you posted this (even if the content is bad news, the update is a relief) - I was getting worried about you! Very much hoping that everything will get better soon, and I'll give a thought for you up to any higher being that's listening :)

[ladyattercop]

Thanks mystery poster.

I figured I should put an update here since I don't want people to think I ran off an joined a cult...

Wait. I don't want people thinking that?

[threnodythefop]

I assumed you had....but I was assuming that long before the updates stopped.