ANTS!  i've got 'em, too.  someone on one of the message boards sugested
cinnamon.  it hasn't much deterred the little tiny sugar ants, but the
larger ones are gone!  i also put grits down (mostly in non-ferrety
areas, as i figured a few grits won't hurt a fert, but with my luck, one
of mine would eat a whole pile and get ill) as i hear they kill ants.
 
i was pretty surprised when, a day after i unloaded a jar of cinnamon
into my crappy old baseboards and along my sliding glass door, the big
scary not-fire-ants-but-look-like-fire-ants were all gone.  try it, it
might work for you.
 
now, i gotta figure out what's safe to use that will repel roachy bugs
and *especially* earwigs.  *shudder* earwigs are just AWFUL!  i get
twitchy just thinking about 'em.
 
***************************************
 
Sean!  ferrets can run faster than humans, but only when they *really*
dont' want to get caught.  ;) serious answers, though todd pretty well
covered it in much more entertaining fashion, though:
 
-- a ferret probably could outrun most humans.  think about how fast wild
weasels and mink can run!  granted, most domestic ferrets probably can't
clock such speeds, as a result of the many centuries of domestication,
but they could probably still do a number on most of us lazy couch
potatos!
 
-- one of my boy ferrets has weighed in as light as 1 pound, 13 ounces.
he's small.  i'm sure there are small boy ferrets that are even littler
than that.
 
-- it's not unheard of for female ferrets to weigh less than a pound, and
not be underweight.  my smallest, i think, last i weighed, was 1 pound 3
ounces.
 
=====
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\    `'`,/  \ ()o=;
 `'`','`/  . \/ /
       (  / \" /
        \(_  \(_   ferrets may nip, but people just suck.
[Posted in FML issue 3907]