Late yesterday evening I remembered that I hadn't cut P's sandwiches for work as yet, so I wandered out into the kitchen to make them, only to be confronted by what seemed like a moving black mat of ants all over the kitchen side. I must have shouted 'ants' a lot louder than I realised because P was out into the kitchen lickety-spit. After a fair bit of shouting (on my part) and calm suggestions (on P's part) we decided that first of all that evening's washing up should be done (yes, I know, I'm very slovenly and really should wash up straight after the meal!!)
So, at 11.30 pm, we started on a mammoth washing-up task with me washing and P drying and putting everything away. All the while I'm moaning and complaining that this bl**dy house is like a wild-life park and no sooner have we got rid of one pest (Maurice the mouse), then we're struck by a plague of ants. By the time we'd done everything the number of ants seemed to have diminished and I couild only see three or four of the little swines scuttling about on the kitchen worktop. After all that I decided at midnight that I had to have a shower as I swear I could feel ants crawling all over me.
After a very restless night, imagining the kitchen being overtaken by whole colonies of ants as we slept, I took myself off to the high street early this morning to buy Ant Bait (smells unbelievably toxic to me) and some Nippon Ant Gel (I'll leave P to deal with that little gem!) When I checked back in the kitchen just now the Ant Bait seemed to be heaving with ants (I'm presuming that's good) with only one or two strays wandering around elsewhere.
The whole episode has led to a massive clean-up of the kitchen this morning (probably not a bad thing). I've even put the pan of stewed plums that I cooked this morning into the oven to keep it out of reach of the ants, although my Mum (who REALLY doesn't like ants at all) feels that they are far too intelligent for their own good and could, with a fair wind behind them, even make it into the oven - I do hope not.
So, anyone got any good tips for getting rid of ants or, even better, how to stop the little devils getting in in the first place? All suggestions very gratefully received.
Two things with ants:
1) where are they getting in and 2) what are they after. If you can prevent them getting in that's half the battle(or better yet put your ant bait near their entry point). If you can find what's attracting them that's the other half! We used to have ants in the kitchen and the culprit was the sugar bowl. We now keep the sugar in a stoppered jar and don't have a problem any more. If you don't like using toxic ant bait, talcum powder is quite effective at deterring them - it's very fine particles stick to their legs and they really hate it. Dust it along your back door step or whereever they're getting in and that'll keep them out.
Posted by: Denise | 05/19/2009 at 07:19 PM
I've heard cinnamon gets rid of them.
Posted by: Darling Petunia | 05/20/2009 at 12:26 AM
Two things which might help are talcum powder sprinkled at their point of entry and white vinegar ( 50/50 with water) wiped over the worktops.
If they don't work at least there are no nasty side effects!
Good luck!
Posted by: Maureen | 05/20/2009 at 09:41 AM