Sweetcorn

[Millymollymandy]

G'Day guys,

If you pull the leaves back and prick a corn kernel, and a milky white fluid comes out....................it's ripe!

Nev

And if it's not (as was my case) you can't cover it back up again properly and the red ants get in and start nibbling.

However, they only nibbled a tiny bit and the rest of it ripened and I ate it the other day!!

Two more going on the barbie tonight!!! Yippee!

[Wombat]

Well I'm glad you were able to get some M3, I don't have the ant problem that you have......

Nev

[Millymollymandy]

You really wouldn't want MY red ant problem - I've been bitten by the b*ggers 3 times this summer, the first two times I got huge great sore itchy bites from them and then I came up in an excruciatingly itchy rash over half my body, which was a complete nightmare. The 3rd time I took antihistamine tablets immediately and the bite itself was much reduced and I didn't get the allergic reaction.

So they are welcome to my sweetcorn as long as they keep away from me!!!!!

I've also had a nasty spider bite on my neck, a tick on my arm, fleas (thanks cats) and now that the fleas have been eradicated, I think I'm being bitten by harvest mites. I have itched every day for the last three months and I'm actually looking forward to winter!!!

[Wombat]

Struth Mandy, you must be very tasty!

Nev

[ina]

MMM, I think I even prefer our midges! They do love me to bits, but at least I'm not allergic...

We made up some stuff in France from (if I remember correctly) St. John's Wort and sunflower oil, left to ripen in a bottle in the sun for a few weeks. Applied to stings and bites it worked wonders in reducing swelling and itching. I now have a similar spray from Weleda (can't remember what it's called, and the print is rubbed off the label). Works well if I happen to have it with me and apply it to the bite asap.

Ina

[2steps]

You really wouldn't want MY red ant problem - I've been bitten by the b*ggers 3 times this summer, the first two times I got huge great sore itchy bites from them and then I came up in an excruciatingly itchy rash over half my body, which was a complete nightmare. The 3rd time I took antihistamine tablets immediately and the bite itself was much reduced and I didn't get the allergic reaction.

So they are welcome to my sweetcorn as long as they keep away from me!!!!!

I've also had a nasty spider bite on my neck, a tick on my arm, fleas (thanks cats) and now that the fleas have been eradicated, I think I'm being bitten by harvest mites. I have itched every day for the last three months and I'm actually looking forward to winter!!!

I have red ants and get bitten almost every day I have tried sprays and stuff to keep them away but they have never really worked. I get the itchy bites which then turn into a red hard lump

[Millymollymandy]

How come so many 2 steps? Are they in your plant pots? but hard red lumps, yup, know the feeling - mine were about 3" x 2" though! They are not nice!

This is the first summer in France that I've actually gone out and bought insect repellant, not so sure that it works as I forget to reapply it every 8 hours! My mum gets bitten to death by everything in England so I guess I've got some allergic thingy from her which gets worse as I get older.


P.S. The sweetcorn barbied was delicious. There are 3 or 4 on each plant (6) so probably it was a good thing that the whole packet that I planted didn't germinate! Funny how I am having success with things I've never grown before but disaster with things I've grown many times before like tomatoes.

[2steps]

this whole area seems to have real ant problem. I see them all over. If you part the grass in almost any part of my garden you see ants! neighbour next door has the same, the council won't do anything, they only deal with mice or rats. They have left my plants alone, shame they don't leave me alone. they only bite me and my dog, everyone else has had a few and thats it. but when my mums cat had fleas I was the worst bitten by those as well, I must taste good lol I don't really like to kill them but I have put down some powder around my pots so at least I can work there without being biten

[Millymollymandy]

That must be really tough for the folks who have kids as they can't exactly play on the lawn then.

And please don't invite me round for a picnic in the garden!