Summer brings lots of things.
Fun, vacation, slip and slides and subsequent trips to the ER.
But not only does summer bring out the best in life, it can also bring out the worst – like fire ants.

Here in Upstate South Carolina, this season is crowned by hundreds of small red hills in our yards. Those little menacing mounds are the residence of the fire ant.
Fire ants are the worst, and here’s why:

1. When mowing your lawn, you will no doubt destroy their domiciles of doom. The have the last laugh when thousands of their burning army are sprayed all over your legs ready to light you up.
2. Their bites leave your fleshy appendage looking like a disgusting horned melon from hell (this is especially awesome when you have encountered a hoard of them whilst wearing your favourite sandals).
3. After wreaking havoc upon your body, their bits are weepy and make you want to level them with an iron file until you are bleeding and full of regret.
4. This process will no doubt be repeated at least 5 more times over the course of the long and hot summer.

Any home remedies for relief of these bites?
What about an environmentally friendly means of extermination?
What pests come out this time of year in your neck of the woods?

This nasty little doll photo was submitted by my friend Wallace Branin.

The Nasty Little Challenge Rating (1 = disturbing, 5 = disturbing and may cause nightmares, 10 = disturbing, nightmare-causing and most likely to induce vomiting):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Wallace said that he saw this doll at an auction.  You know why he is at an auction?  Because he has taken out another entire family and is in need of a new family to destroy.  I wonder how much was paid for him at the auction, but more importantly, where is the family today that made the purchase?

Look at his nasty little smile and his nasty little killing-worn fingers.  A 7 on my Nasty Little Challenge scale.

If you have a photo of a Nasty Little Doll you would like the world to see, send it to me.