The Vent and Rant Thread

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by nekokami

I think the white paint is sticky, but maybe it's also chalk-based. The websites I looked at suggested that ants don't like the feel of chalk on their feet. I wonder how they interviewed the ants to find that out? Do you suppose they drew a statistically significant sample, or went with in-depth qualitative ethnographies?

I might be venturing out of competence here but I think it has to do with the size of the chalk particles. To climb vertical surfaces insects rely on fine cilia distributed on their limb tips. Chalk particles could accumulate between cilia and prevent adhesion to surfaces for a good safe climb. Ants are notoriously clean creatures and must notice the disruptions so they'll avoid chalk when they get to it.

[nekokami]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

I might be venturing out of competence here but I think it has to do with the size of the chalk particles. To climb vertical surfaces insects rely on fine cilia distributed on their limb tips. Chalk particles could accumulate between cilia and prevent adhesion to surfaces for a good safe climb. Ants are notoriously clean creatures and must notice the disruptions so they'll avoid chalk when they get to it.

In the absence of any actual experts, I'll take that theory.

[krisk]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Please do no embroil me in another brou-ha-ha.

I'm in enough trouble as it is..........

but why on earth would you be in trouble!?

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

I might be venturing out of competence here but I think it has to do with the size of the chalk particles. To climb vertical surfaces insects rely on fine cilia distributed on their limb tips. Chalk particles could accumulate between cilia and prevent adhesion to surfaces for a good safe climb. Ants are notoriously clean creatures and must notice the disruptions so they'll avoid chalk when they get to it.

That may work for clean, polite Canadian ants, but down here, the fire ants actually dig the mortar from around bricks. It's war, and the blasted fire ants are winning!
Amdro will kill part of a nest, but the survivors hatch a batch
of queens and males, and they swarm up in the air. Those survivors will have made 5 more giant piles inside of 2 weeks!

[nekokami]

Happily, I don't have fire ants to contend with, just little brown "sugar" ants.

I've managed to convince most of them that my desk just isn't an interesting place after all, just by cleaning up the crumbs. I may bring some vinegar in tomorrow to finish the job.

[Patricia]

I'm wondering whether anointing the desk and chair legs with tea tree oil might also help. It's antiseptic (pun not particularly intended) and the distinctive scent might deter the ants.

[Xenophon]

A dusting of diatomaceous earth will deter most insects from walking across it. The invisibly-small fossil diatoms are sharp enough to puncture the chitin of their legs/feet.

Needless to say, you don't want to be breathing that dust, however.

Xenophon

[nekokami]

Originally Posted by Xenophon

A dusting of diatomaceous earth will deter most insects from walking across it. The invisibly-small fossil diatoms are sharp enough to puncture the chitin of their legs/feet.

Needless to say, you don't want to be breathing that dust, however.

Xenophon

Unless I'm mistaken, diatomaceous earth = chalk.

Patricia, this desk doesn't have legs, the sides and back come down to the floor. I'd be using a lot of tea tree oil.

However, there are many fewer ants today than yesterday. I think if I'm more careful with crumbs, I'll be all set.

[Justy]

My vent is about people calling me for Work Related Issues at 7:40am!!! My work day officially starts at 8:30am. Just because I work from home doesn't mean I should expect to get phone calls before 8am!

I was all set to curl up with a good eBook and relax with my morning coffee after sending Son to Daycare. The phone call didn't end till 8:20 so I missed out on my reading time.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Justy

My vent is about people calling me for Work Related Issues at 7:40am!!! My work day officially starts at 8:30am. Just because I work from home doesn't mean I should expect to get phone calls before 8am!

I was all set to curl up with a good eBook and relax with my morning coffee after sending Son to Daycare. The phone call didn't end till 8:20 so I missed out on my reading time.

Unacceptable!!
Could you not make up your reading time during the day?

I work from home, and I don't answer the work phone outside my hours.
They can swivel .

[badgoodDeb]

I think you should quit an hour early today, and read then. Without answering any phones! Or get a separate "work" phone number, so you can not answer it, as desired.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Justy

My vent is about people calling me for Work Related Issues at 7:40am!!! My work day officially starts at 8:30am. Just because I work from home doesn't mean I should expect to get phone calls before 8am!

I was all set to curl up with a good eBook and relax with my morning coffee after sending Son to Daycare. The phone call didn't end till 8:20 so I missed out on my reading time.

you need an answering machine.

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Unacceptable!!
Could you not make up your reading time during the day?

I work from home, and I don't answer the work phone outside my hours.
They can swivel .

i work from home, and sometimes i don't answer the phone *during* my hours. (depends what i'm doing / who it's likely to be, though.) *definitely* not at 7.40 in the morning !!!!

[Justy]

You're all right, I shouldn't have answered the phone. I made the mistake of looking at caller ID though, and it was someone I had been playing email tag with the day before. I have a separate work number, but it has it's own ring on my main phone line so I have to pay attention to the ring sounds before I answer.

I will be taking off an hour early today though and spending it with my eBook! I deserve it.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Justy

I will be taking off an hour early today though and spending it with my eBook! I deserve it.

glad to hear it ! you've earned it.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by Justy

You're all right, I shouldn't have answered the phone. I made the mistake of looking at caller ID though, and it was someone I had been playing email tag with the day before. I have a separate work number, but it has it's own ring on my main phone line so I have to pay attention to the ring sounds before I answer.

I will be taking off an hour early today though and spending it with my eBook! I deserve it.

Dear employers,

See above for another reason why you should let your employees who can telecommute do so. Most will work harder and longer (especially the ones who feel guilty for all the worktime they spend on MR ).

Cheers,
Marc (retired, but living with a telecommuter)