I'm feeling blessed after reading about other folks' garden pests because I don't have any invasions in the gardens this year. Even the JB haven't been a problem in the garden. However, after being away working for a couple of weeks I've returned to find ants have invaded my house! I suspect the drought is to blame since they seem to be seeking water rather than food. The bathroom and kitchen are their primary targets and no matter what I try, they seem to increase in numbers. I went from cornmeal (which has worked many times in the past) to cinnamon (which has also worked in the past) to Terro---the POISON! And yet they are still flocking in!
And TICKS! Not a day goes by that we don't pick several ticks off us or the cats. I've never seen an invasion this bad for this long. It began in Feburary and the numbers have steadily increased despite the drought. I have no idea how to fight them since they seem to be everywhere. I've just spent a couple of weeks poking about in the woods and meadows of eastern Tennessee and didn't have any real problem with ticks.
The house/pet sitter reported getting up to a dozen off the cats when she combed them in the evenings, mostly unattached, just crawling about looking for a place to attach. The strange thing is this---no fleas in months! At least that is some good news!

We are having horrid issues with ticks here in MO. I swear one day I was in the kitchen, had not been feeling to good so had not been outside. My daughter said something about how nice it was so I took two steps out on the back porch, stood there for maybe three min, came back in. Then I found three ticks walking up my arm.

It has gotten so bad here that hubby went out and got some organic yard spray and hit the front and back lawns as they are literally trying to eat our poor dogs to death. They only go out to potty and come back in and they are just covered.

We are giving it a few days to see if we think the spray has helped at all. I sure hope so.

Please let me know if the organic yard spray works.
I'm cautiously optimistic that I've found a solution for the ant problem. My neighbor from Mexico came for a visit and saw the cleared counter. I explained that I was trying to rid the place of ants. She told me to take a cup of Listerine and add 1 Tablespoonful of Grapefruit seed extract and spray down the entire area and let it dry. I did and for the last couple of days I've seen less than a dozen crawling about so maybe....

lady bugs are your friend. Pick up a pack at home depot! If not assassin bugs are the best.Leave them in the garden though not in your home LOL.