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  • From: "Chris Clarke" <hstead AT nc.rr.com>
  • To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Homestead] Ant in the Tomatoes AND a BIG Black Widow
  • Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:52:39 -0400

Hello folks,

Long time since I've posted, but I have one story and one question. The
question is, have you ever seen ants EATING tomatoes? I have seen ants
around the garden, but never eating ripe tomatoes. I have great gobs of
tomatoes this year, but about 1/2 have been ruined by the ants.

While working in the garden, which has grown luxuriant this summers warm and
dry weather (unlike 300 miles to our north), the plants have all grown way
beyond my expectation. Stuffing the tomatoes back into their cages, and
trying to keep their enveloping arms from encasing my hot peppers, causally
handling the plant, I see the largest black widow I have ever seen. HUGE...
with lots ants around (ha). Given my unexpectedly strong arachnophobia (when
startled by 'em) I had a strong drink of poteen, and started to look to see
if it could be ANYTHING else. Of course, there isn't. I keep the gloves
on while working in the wood pile (where I expected to see them); I will now
in the garden as well.

Long lost Chris Clarke
Apex, NC
>From erthnsky AT bellsouth.net Sat Jul 11 22:13:34 2009
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Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:13:14 -0400
From: EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
Organization: EarthNSky Farm
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Subject: Re: [Homestead] Ant in the Tomatoes AND a BIG Black Widow
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Hi Chris, good to see you again!
It must be a dry summer there, too. Yes, I have had ants eating the
tomatoes before, but usually here it is yellow jackets that suck the
toms dry. It did not rain here from June 4 to July 5 here, and that
makes for thirsty/hungry insects, and where there are insects, there are
spiders. I, too, saw a huge black widow in the open garden, kind of
unusual for them to be out in the open as opposed to being under a log,
rock, cinderblock or other junk. I don't do spiders, so any black widow
is a dead black widow. The orb spiders I tolerate, but not the widows.
I regularly see black widows with nickel sized bodies(not counting
the legs)....monster spiders they are....dead monsters if I see 'em...uh
huh...
Pass the poteen this way, maybe it will ease my frustration over not
being able to do what I want...

B

Chris Clarke wrote:
> Hello folks,
>
> Long time since I've posted, but I have one story and one question.
> The question is, have you ever seen ants EATING tomatoes? I have
> seen ants around the garden, but never eating ripe tomatoes. I have
> great gobs of tomatoes this year, but about 1/2 have been ruined by
> the ants.
>
> While working in the garden, which has grown luxuriant this summers
> warm and dry weather (unlike 300 miles to our north), the plants have
> all grown way beyond my expectation. Stuffing the tomatoes back
> into their cages, and trying to keep their enveloping arms from
> encasing my hot peppers, causally handling the plant, I see the
> largest black widow I have ever seen. HUGE... with lots ants around
> (ha). Given my unexpectedly strong arachnophobia (when startled by
> 'em) I had a strong drink of poteen, and started to look to see if
> it could be ANYTHING else. Of course, there isn't. I keep the
> gloves on while working in the wood pile (where I expected to see
> them); I will now in the garden as well.
>
> Long lost Chris Clarke Apex, NC
> _______________________________________________ Homestead list and
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--
"Never expect magic from no where" Baringo (Kenyan) working motto
http://erthnsky.blogspot.com/
EarthNSky Farm, NW Georgia, USA



  • [Homestead] Ant in the Tomatoes AND a BIG Black Widow, Chris Clarke, 07/11/2009

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