So today I gotta talk about this fuse pesticide stuff. You know, those little twisty rope things? Smells awful, like rotten eggs mixed with something nasty. I got ants. Like, everywhere. Kitchen, pantry, marching across the floor like they own the place. Tried sprays, traps, baking soda – they laughed. Saw these pesticide fuses at the garden shop, dusty box, looked old-school. Figured, why not? Time to test ’em out. Three ways.
Round One: The Kitchen Raid (aka Operation Stink Bomb)
First thought was simple: just light one where the bugs hang out. Picked the worst spot under the sink where I saw a trail. Made sure to open the damn window first – didn’t want to gas myself out. Lit the end with a lighter. Whoosh. Stink hit me like a truck even with the window open. Thick white smoke started pouring out. Looked cool for a second, like a tiny volcano. I crammed it as far back under the sink as I could and slammed the cabinet door shut fast. Left it burning for the full time it said on the package – felt like forever with that smell leaking out.
Came back later, opened the door. Wow. Smell was intense. Crawled under there cautiously. Saw maybe one or two dead ants nearby the fuse. Seriously? Like, barely scratched ’em. The main trail? Still trucking along like nothing happened. Felt kinda ripped off. So much smoke, so much stink, barely dented the problem.
Round Two: Sealing the Deal (The Gap Attack)
Okay, Plan B. Figured maybe smoke needed a confined space to really work its magic. Spotted a crack near the back door. Tiny hole, ants pouring in. Perfect target. Grabbed a fuse and some wet towels. Lit the fuse near the hole – stood WAY back this time. Held my breath. Puffed the smoke straight into that crack, shoved the towels around the base to seal it tight as I could. Left it burning longer this time, hoping the smoke would get trapped and fill their secret passageways.
Waited. When the smoke cleared, pulled the towels away. Peeked inside the crack with a flashlight. Saw a bunch more dead ants this time, maybe fifteen or twenty? Definitely better than the first go. Seemed like sealing the gap helped force the smoke where I wanted. But here’s the thing – the crack wasn’t super deep. If they were coming from miles away underground, this might not reach the nest itself.
Round Three: The Deep Dive (Basement Blitz)
Got bold for the final act. Took it downstairs. Have this dirt floor crawlspace access point, always damp, always creepy. Found the main entrance – a bigger hole in the corner foundation. This felt risky. Lit the fuse right at the hole entrance. Smoke billowed out crazy fast, thicker than ever. Stuffed rags soaked in water all around the hole real quick to seal it. This time, alllll the smoke went inside. Locked it down tight and ran upstairs fast.
Left it sealed up good and long. Honestly? Nerve-wracking. Came back hours later, opened it carefully. Smell hung low and heavy down there. Shone my light inside. Success! Saw way more casualties. Dozens for sure, mostly piled up closer to the entrance point. Seems the fumes really sank into their creepy little basement lair. Looked like it actually disrupted things deeper.
Did Fuse Pesticide Work? My Take
So, what’d I learn messing with these stinky ropes?
- Don’t waste it open air: Lighting one in the middle of the room or a half-open cabinet? Basically just makes your house smell like a chemistry accident. Useless.
- Seal it up tight: Gotta force that smoke where it hurts. Stuff cracks, holes, entries with wet rags or whatever works. Makes all the difference. Just puffing smoke? Nope.
- Go straight to the source: Find the main entrances, the nest holes if you can. Deep cracks, foundation gaps, anywhere they vanish. Hitting the source, forcing smoke deep inside – that’s the way you see results.
Bottom line? Those fuse things aren’t a magic wand. They stink, they make a lot of smoke, and if you just wave ’em around, they’re useless. But if you can pinpoint where the bugs are coming from and seal that sucker tight so the smoke gets pushed deep inside? Then yeah, suddenly they become way more effective. Still messy, still stinky, but they actually did kill a bunch deep down there. Don’t expect miracles, but used right? They pack a punch.
