I tore up the patio interlocking brick with the skid steer and leveled it as well as I could in the small space. The patio on the ground floor was a mess. The ants had invaded the space bringing up the sand continuously. The first few blocks I removed had ant eggs under them. Because of the high sand content on the entire farm, we are always over run with ants. Fortunately the chickens are excellent foragers and keep the general population somewhat under control in the farmyard, but they could not manage to get under the bricks. I dumped the bricks and sand in small piles off to the side of the yard and will later go through the piles and remove the bricks to use elsewhere.
A wee accident...ooops. The tooth of the bucket caught on the tin and lifted it rather crumbling it in the lift. I suppose this is the opportunity to install diatomaceous earth in the space that is exposed, a space where the ants bring the sand into the house in small cracks around the door. I caught the bucket tooth on the tin and made quite a mess. I will have to replace that piece for sure. The exposure will also afford an opportunity to do something more to keep the ants at bay.They were eating the rotting timbers surrounding the patio and by getting rid of those too, their food source will be diminished. Perhaps they will move on.
My son, Travis, who is staying here until he gets a job in Alberta, has concrete work experience and is planning to do the patio. This will certainly clean up that area and the problem of the ants bringing up sand through the cracks should be eliminated completely. The fence along the driveway should be going in this weekend, finally , after 2 years, and the animals will no longer have any access to this area, so the roses and flowers can be planted in their new homes. The cat, Jane, was checking out the work to be sure it met with her approval. I suppose it does not quite yet. The sheep left a calling card though, as she noted with a turned up nose. She said it was baa a d.
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