Our Olde House: September 14, 2021

“Mississippi has a lot of bugs.”  Before I lived in the South I had heard this expression, but I really had no idea what a “lot” of bugs actually meant.  This is not a complaint or criticism, just simply a statement of fact that is lost on those who do not live in the South. 

I have a riding mower for the larger areas of “green stuff” in our backyard, and a battery powered push mower for the edges and small spaces.  I decided to push the little mower around the backyard one afternoon last June so I went out to our mower barn in the backyard and dragged it out.

As I pulled the little mower out the door I noticed a large dark spot under where the mower was parked.  Since it is electric there is no fluid to leak and make a spot so I looked closer, at which time I noticed the spot was moving.  Ants.  Great, I decided to simply mow the yard as planned and deal with the ants after I finished; another simple plan doomed to failure. 

Well, as I pulled the little mower the rest of the way out of barn and bent down to push the battery into it, I felt something on my hands. More ants.  This was a first for me, I have never had my lawn mower attacked by ants before. 

I knocked the ants off my hands and arms and sprayed the mower with ant spray.  The ants stopped moving for a moment, but then there were more ants coming from underneath the mower.  I turned the mower on its side and sprayed again and the ants stopped moving for a moment, but then there were more ants coming from under the motor cover.

I removed the motor cover and discovered ant heaven, or at least a satellite chapter, living on and in the electric motor.  There were ants covering everything all running in circles.  More ant spray but the herd seemed endless.  Finally all of the ants stopped moving; clearly this was not a simple ant attack on the mower, it was an occupation. 

Now I had my little mower covered in ant spray, and not-moving ants, so I did not want to touch the poison or start mowing.  I decided to rinse off the not-moving ants and residual ant spray so the little mower would be safe to use.  I gingerly pushed the little mower into the middle of the green stuff, got the hose and gave it a good rinse.  Success, I thought, but no, not yet.

I dropped the battery into the little mower and stepped back to avoid the whirring blades, but no sound, no whir.  I remembered from somewhere in my past that water and electric motors do not mix, or whir.  Well, I should be able to dry the motor so I got my leaf blower and blasted the motor from all directions.  I dropped the battery back in and what do you know, whirring. 

I remembered the dark spot in the barn, so I pulled the battery out of the little mower and went back into the barn.  The dark spot was now a sea of ants running in circles.  I pushed the riding mower out of the barn and sprayed the entire floor.  Just to be sure I got an ant bomb, put it into the middle of the barn, set it off and closed the barn door.  I decided to set off another ant bomb under the house to deter any ant stampede between the barn and the house that was being planned.

I never did mow with the little mower that day, or for several days after that.  I managed to push the riding mower and little mower back into the barn that evening, and shut the door behind them; I will mow later.  Mississippi has a lot of bugs, and I seem to have a double dose of ants under the house and in the yard.