Part 1: Ants

These pesky crawlers form a beeline — or an antline, if you will — to any “sugary, sweet substances, crumbs on your countertop, and food spillage on the floors,” says Nancy Troyano, Ph.D., a board-certified entomologist and director of technical education and training at Rentokil North America Pest Control. “That’s exactly what they’re going after.”

Do:  Follow their trail to spot and seal any sneaky entrances.

Don’t:  Spray ants with cleaners or combine borax and powdered sugar to poison their food source.

Foraging ants lay a trail of pheromones to food their family can follow. Cut off their food supply by keeping your space spotless — wipe up spilled apple juice on your countertops, and clear the crumbs from the bottom of your trash bin. If you do spot their tiny parade, Grab a tube of sealant and follow the ants until you find their itty-bitty entrance. Attacking them head on rarely works — and can even make it worse! Who hasn’t picked up a spray bottle of cleaner and led an all-out assault on those pesky buggers? Turns out spraying them with household cleaners might kick-start the “budding” process, where surviving ants break away to form new colonies — and breed lots of new ant babies.

Combining sugar and borax is another DIY method that hurts more than helps. While borax will kill the ants —though it’s also an irritant that can be toxic to pets — the sugar “may end up attracting ants that wouldn’t have been there in the first place,” Troyano says.

Please share this info with residents of NOLA.

https://www.nola.gov/ready/

Latest Alerts & Updates
UPDATED AUGUST 7, 2017 AT 6:27 PM
Volunteer Opportunities and Assistance for Residents Available
Community organizations are our partners in preparedness and response. Link with them directly for more info on volunteer opportunities and available assistance.

AMERICAN RED CROSS
504-620-3105
The Red Cross continues to work close with local officials and partners to provide support to those affected by flooding in New Orleans this past weekend. Currently, the Red Cross is coordinating with local government to assist with damage assessment, as well as providing cleaning kits and recovery planning support to affected individuals and families. Contact the american Red Cross at 504-620-3105.

NOLA TREE PROJECT
504-415-8434
connie@nolatreeproject.org
NOLA Tree Project can coordinate volunteers, tools, and cleaning supplies to help with cleanup activities. Contact them for volunteer opportunities or to request assistance.

REBUILDING TOGETHER NEW ORLEANS
504-581-7032
Rebuilding Together New Orleans, a program of the PRC, helps homeowners with critical home repair services by utilizing volunteers. If your home received damage and you need help, contact the intake department at 504-581-7032. If you want to help, contact Volunteer Manager Kat at 504-636-3075 or kschweitzer@prcno.org.

SBP
SBP can help homeowners whose homes were impacted by the flooding. Volunteers can assist with gutting and mold remediation. Contact Judy at JMartens@SBPUSA.org for volunteer opportunities. Homeowners in need of assistance should contact the client services department at 504-644-4639.

SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA LEGAL SERVICES
504-529-1000 x223
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services can provide legal assistance to tenants who are being evicted or who are being asked to pay for repairs by their landlords due to flooding. Go to their office at 1010 Commons Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 9-3 and bring proof of income, lease, and any other important documents.

If your organization is accepting volunteers or offering services for residents affected by flooding and would like to be listed here, email lamellem@nola.gov.

Link to update

UPDATED AUGUST 7, 2017 AT 6:26 PM
New Orleans Building Hardening Guide for Small Businesses
The City of New Orleans Office of Resilience & Sustainability and NOLA Ready have put together a guide on how to protect your business from high winds, flooding, fire, winter weather, and hail. These techniques range from very minor, inexpensive retrofits which you might do by yourself to far more complicated measures which require the assistance of a licensed professional.
Read more

UPDATED AUGUST 7, 2017 AT 1:54 PM
8.7.17 Updates: City Makes Additional Reminders Following Saturday Flooding
NEW ORLEANS – Today, the City of New Orleans released the information following Saturday's no-notice severe weather and flooding. As much as 8 to 10 inches of rain fell in isolated areas of the city within three to four hours. Many neighborhoods of the city saw rainfall amounts equaling a 1 percent chance of occurring in any year, a so-called 100-year event. Others saw rainfall amounts equaling a 10 percent chance of occurring in any year, a so-called 10-year event.

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