Another lovely day today, a little overcast, but dry, so the perfect weather to go up the allotment. I managed to weed and water the Onion bed today, so that’s the last bed sorted on plot 1. The Onions are growing well which is great news as we do tend to go through a fair few of those during the year. I also cut back my Comfrey bush as it had got rather large. I will make some fertiliser from it one year, but I keep it going as the bees love to buzz round it and collect nectar. When I do get round to making my Comfrey feed I’ll make a little video to show you.
Plot 1 all ready and sorted.
I then moved onto my second plot and the Asparagus bed. I knelt down to trim the grass round the edges and then had to come up very quickly because I felt pain in my lower leg. The little buggers of Red Ants had bitten me 4 times on my lower right leg. They even got one on my knee! I don’t like them at all. They itched for a while, and puffed up, but then stopped itching. They’ll really itch tomorrow and most probably won’t go down for a couple of days. Ants are everywhere at the moment, does anyone know anyway to get rid of them? I’m sure they’re around for a reason, but what that reason is I don’t know.
Clairesallotment's Blog 
Reblogged this on Linda's wildlife garden and commented:
Here are a few of Jerry’s tonics for critter control.
ANT CONTROL TONIC #1
4 to 5 tbsp. cornmeal
3 tbsp. bacon grease
3 tbsp. baking powder
3 packages of yeast (I would opt for the rapid rise)
Mix cornmeal & bacon grease into a paste, then add baking powder &
yeast. Dab the gooey mix on the insides of jar lids, and
set them near the ant hills.
When ants eat this mixture, they swell up and go to the big ant hill in
the sky.
Yes, we have them here, Louisiana, and they are no fun. I enjoyed reading of your trip.
I got bitten again today!! Glad you enjoyed what I did on my little trip. I hoped people would find it interesting. I’m not just all gardening, I do other stuff as well.
Hi claire
Well, personally, when bitten by red ants, I feel the need for oral antihistamine, then if the hard lump does appear ( which leads to pain and never-ending scratching), I smother with Fudicin, then I feel safe and dont need a 4 hour wait at the A&E!!! Cos the bite has turned out to be something more horrid ….But to prevent, I arrive, untanned and fully clothed at our little allotment, use a soft and dirty knee pad and never sit around in one place !!! For prevention, ant nematodes are great but designer expensive, AND, The high IQ critters simply acknowledge defeat and decamp…. to the next attack cell! Nippon can assist but really only a stop gap….the children have suffered ants-in-their-p***ts ( v nasty) so wear socks over their leggings/jeans and boots up to their knees. Actually, they look v relaxed and hilarious as they record their video ‘today I’m going to show you’ Claire’s allotment blog/junior gardeners’ world (never to be uploaded) videos. They really look up to you, Claire. You are a great role model for the little ones and my daughter so enoys your blogs and Youtube ‘show yous’. And, whenever we feel a touch of the blues, your ‘dont do Nudy Rudy’ Youtube naked gardener video makes us cry with laughter….. smiles overcome all.
I’ve got some of that cream at home. I’ve also be known to put Germolene on them before. Once they made me feel really dizzy and I had to go home and sit down. Fortunately it’s never happened again. I di get bitten under the arm pit the other week, 3 times. How that little bug got up there I shall never know. I was told that used coffee grounds are good for controlling them, but we don’t drink coffee i our house, so I may have to go down to Costa and ask. I would love to see some of the videos your little ones record. If you do put them online, send me the link. As for my episode 200, I’m so surprised that people are still watching it. I get about 1,000 views on it per day, and now it’s up to nearly 200k!! Have a great season.