ANTS

Ants are the most prevalent pests in California. Although ants are annoying when they come indoors, they can be beneficial by feeding on fleas, termites, and other pests in the garden. While spraying chemicals inside the house may seem effective, it won't prevent more ants from entering your home, which is essential for control because most ants nest outside. Focus management efforts on excluding ants from building or plants. The following are some ideas to make your house less attractive to ants:

• Caulk cracks that provide entry inside
• Store attractive food in containers
• Clean up grease and spills
• Remove indoor nesting sites, such as inside potted plants
• Ant-proof kitchen garbage pails with sticky barriers, such as petroleum jelly under the lip and pet dishes by placing them in a moat of water
• Remove sweet food sources next to your house, such as aphid-infested bushes and ripened fruit on trees.

When ants do invade your home, take these following steps:

• Sponge invaders with soapy water as soon as they enter
• Plug up ant entryways with petroleum jelly or caulking
• Remove infested plants
• Clean up food sources
• Rely on bait to control the ant colony
• Indoor sprays are not usually necessary

If using bait, place it along ant trails and at nest openings. Worker ants will be attracted to the bait and take it back to the nest where the entire colony, including queens may be killed. The bait must be slow-acting so workers won't be killed before they get it back to the nest. It may take several weeks for results to be evident. Just killing workers foraging in your home or garden does little to control the colony, because as few as 1% of the colony's foraging worker ants are able to provide sufficient food to support nestbound queens and larvae. Baits in bait stations or ant stakes are easiest to use and safest for the environment. Look for products containing fipronil, hydramethylnon or boric acid. Be sure to read product labels carefully and follow all instructions on proper use, storage and disposal of pesticides. Minimize or avoid the use of products that contain diazinon and chlorpyrifos - these materials may assist in polluting our waterways.

TREE DISPOSAL

Over the years, Weststar Landscape has been kind enough to dispose of Christmas trees for the residents. Again, this year, they are offering this service. If you would like Weststar to take your tree for you, please have it outside your home on the morning of January 3rd and they will pick it up for you. Please note: Flocked or sprayed trees will NOT be picked up by Weststar.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

The Board would like to wish you all a very happy and safe Holiday season. Please remember to designate a driver if you have had a little too much Holiday cheer.

DONE

Barta Roofing has walked all our roofs and replaced some 300 broken tiles. Please, please do not walk on your roof. It is so easy to break a tile unless you know just how.

UPCOMING

It looks like we are going to be able to install a limited number of new fences in early 2002. We'll notify the lucky folks as soon as we know the monies available from 2001. As well, we hope to begin an aggressive program of painting our buildings. It's time-especially for those with T-111 siding. And we're always on the lookout for rotten wood.

POOL AREA CONCERNS

There have been concerns brought to our attention that residents utilizing the pool area are eating and drinking and not cleaning up after themselves. By leaving food behind, we are attracting stray animals to the area. This, in turn, can cause animals to defecate in the pool area and cause fecal contamination. Please do not take food and drink to the pool area and, if you do, please clean up after yourselves.

Great Truths About Life That Little Children Have Learned:

1. When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair;
2. You can't trust dogs to watch your food;
3. Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time;
4. You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk;
5. Don't wear polka-dot underwear with white shorts;

TIERRASANTA DIRECTORY

NEXT MEETING

The next monthly Board Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 9, 2002 at 6:00 p.m. at the clubhouse located in the community.

PROPERTY MANAGER