Cleaning a 3-way TE probe

The latest research out of Stanford University suggest that ant
infestations are the result of weather, especially cold and wet
conditions, and unusually hot and dry spells (probably bec they're
trying to find shelter from extreme weather). According to the
researchers, insecticides are also ineffective at controlling the
infestations. The best thing to do is to close up entrances the ants
are using, and wipe down the ant trail with Windex to eliminate their
scent trail. Read about this at
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/01/ants45.html

James wrote:
The latest research out of Stanford University suggest that ant
infestations are the result of weather, especially cold and wet
conditions, and unusually hot and dry spells (probably bec they're
trying to find shelter from extreme weather). According to the
researchers, insecticides are also ineffective at controlling the
infestations.

One can certainly learn a lot on RAS! My home is in an area conducive
to ants and I can attest to the close relationship of ant invasion and
weather, but I've found that a spray insecticide at the entry point will
stop ants from invading a specific area (though my ants will crawl right
over bait I leave out). So I will still use the insecticde on my plane
but will also plug the hole in question. Thanks for the info, which I
had not seen before.

Ants are effective scavengers, and may in fact be consuming a rat or mouse
inside your tailboom that died there after eating your pitot, vario, or static
tubing. It might be better to leave the ants alone until they finish off
whatever is attracting them to the inside of your glider, and then continue
with the pneumatic system fixes. Not to depress you any further or
anything.....

-
Mark Navarre
ASW-20 OD
California, USA
-

Mark Navarre wrote:
Ants are effective scavengers, and may in fact be consuming a rat or mouse
inside your tailboom that died there after eating your pitot, vario, or static
tubing. It might be better to leave the ants alone until they finish off
whatever is attracting them to the inside of your glider,

At this point I am more concerned with what _live_ ants might be doing
than with an already _dead_ rodent remaining in there, which I could live
with! What worries me is that the last time I was out there I tried
to wash off much of where they had been with the idea of erasing their
chemical tracks - yet the next day were again back in that hidden
hole, which would not seem like an easy thing to do. So I have begun
to wonder if the ants are coming from the outside in or whether there
is already some sort of colony _inside_ (since then they would find
that hole rather easily, from from the inside). My lack of detailed
knowledge of what ants can do and my imagination has produced a paranoia
level which wants those ants out _now_!

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 08:55:11 GMT, Jack Glendening
wrote:

Mark Navarre wrote:
Ants are effective scavengers, and may in fact be consuming a rat or mouse
inside your tailboom that died there after eating your pitot, vario, or static
tubing. It might be better to leave the ants alone until they finish off
whatever is attracting them to the inside of your glider,

At this point I am more concerned with what _live_ ants might be doing
than with an already _dead_ rodent remaining in there, which I could live
with! What worries me is that the last time I was out there I tried
to wash off much of where they had been with the idea of erasing their
chemical tracks - yet the next day were again back in that hidden
hole, which would not seem like an easy thing to do. So I have begun
to wonder if the ants are coming from the outside in or whether there
is already some sort of colony _inside_ (since then they would find
that hole rather easily, from from the inside). My lack of detailed
knowledge of what ants can do and my imagination has produced a paranoia
level which wants those ants out _now_!

That seems entirely reasonable paranoia to me.

Some years back I met some fellow Landrover travellers in Goa who
warned me about the local army ants: two evenings later I spotted a
column headed for my back wheel and was able to nip the invasion in
the bud with a few kettles of boiling water, but I digress.

The other group had found ants living inside the box girders that form
their Landrover's chassis. They drove them from one end of the vehicle
to the other three times, using boiling water and insecticide and
completely stripping their stuff out each time, before they were able
to get rid of them.

Are you sure your ants are confined to your tail group and not getting
into the wheel box or under the seat pan?

--
martin@ : Martin Gregorie
gregorie : Harlow, UK
demon :
co : Zappa fan & glider pilot
uk :

Martin Gregorie wrote:
Are you sure your ants are confined to your tail group and not getting
into the wheel box or under the seat pan?

My paranoia has now reached a new high! No I'm not sure - though I have
not noticed the ants elsewhere I will now be paying extra attention. I
do appreciate the info that the ants _can_ colonize in such artificial
conditions, since I normally associate them with forming colonies in the
soil and did not know how realistic it might be for them to invade a glider.

"Martin Gregorie" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 08:55:11 GMT, Jack Glendening
wrote:
The other group had found ants living inside the box girders that form
their Landrover's chassis. They drove them from one end of the vehicle
to the other three times, using boiling water and insecticide and
completely stripping their stuff out each time, before they were able
to get rid of them.

Are you sure your ants are confined to your tail group and not getting
into the wheel box or under the seat pan?

--
martin@ : Martin Gregorie
gregorie : Harlow, UK


NEWS FLASH!

UPI, Normally disingenuous but otherwise unreliable sources report that a
glider pilot
has been eaten alive by an army of army ants while flying in wave at Minden.

The FAA has issued emergency AD-101003-ANT-1 grounding all gliders until
spring (PW5s were excluded for cosmetic reasons as they were deemed unlikely
to attract ants).
..

--
bumper - ZZ
"Dare to be different . . . circle in sink."
to reply, the last half is right to left


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.521 / Virus Database: 319 - Release Date: 9/23/2003

Getting off the topic a lttle bit, there was a grade B Sci-Fi movie in the
early 70's called "Phase Four" or "Phase IV" about an ant colony that developed
heightened intelligence and was adapting rapidly to poisons used to eradicate
it. Each poison in turn was a different color and resulted in ants breeding to
match that color, the movie ended with the hero scientist being eaten by the
ants he was trying to destroy. The feeling of paranoia pervades the entire
movie, definitely worth a rental.

-
Mark Navarre
ASW-20 OD
California, USA
-

I hadn't gotten a chance to update this thread previously, in part
because I'm actually spending time soaring again after an enforeced
hiatus! But I later found a water bottle on its side behind the pilot's
seat, half full up to its nozzle, with dozens of dead ants floating
inside and now theorize that the water leaked out and was found by the
ants (as suggested by another poster) with the water likely flowing back
to the lowered tail. The animals do seem to love my glider. On my last
visit I arrived to find one wing loose. I first thought I might not
have tied it down correctly or that its stake had pulled out, but
instead I found that its rope had been severed in three places, fairly
cleanly as with a knife. All I can think is that one of the rodents out
there thought it might be good to eat and started chomping on it with
his teeth.

Dr. Jack-

It could be worse. A coworker of mine was very intrigued,
but also very nervous about glider flying. We went
through a very thorough briefing and I promised no
thermalling or steep turns.
She seemed to be doing okay in the front seat of the
L-13 on tow, so I did not have the heart to tell her
about the mouse that was perched on her left shoulder.
He eventually ambled back to his abode somewhere in
the ship and the flight continued.






At 18:18 10 October 2003, Jack Glendening wrote:
Martin Gregorie wrote:
Are you sure your ants are confined to your tail group
and not getting
into the wheel box or under the seat pan?

My paranoia has now reached a new high! No I'm not
sure - though I have
not noticed the ants elsewhere I will now be paying
extra attention. I
do appreciate the info that the ants _can_ colonize
in such artificial
conditions, since I normally associate them with forming
colonies in the
soil and did not know how realistic it might be for
them to invade a glider.