Invasion of the 2mm long ants
For months now, we’ve had raiding parties of tiny ants swarming around our flat. We find the odd ant in the bread bin, in the bathroom basin or crawling over the carpet, and since I’m generally tolerant towards wildlife in the house, I haven’t really done much about it. But now they’ve pushed me too far. The espresso machine was spluttering this morning as if it was empty of water, so I removed the reservoir to refill it. To my horror, hundreds of kamikaze ants were clogging up the exit valve.
That does itâI don’t mind the odd ant in my sandwich (I think of it as free protein), but no-one messes with my coffee supply.
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We had ants too, also of the 2mm variety, and weren't sure what to do about them (squishing them just doesn't do it).
We ended up getting one of those ant baits that they eat and then take back to the nest. We put it out for about a week, and were dissapointed that it didn't seem to be working--and then all of a sudden one day the ants were gone.
I've also heard that sticking a bay/mustard leaf in ant-heavy places is supposed to scare them off.
Ant-flavored coffee isn't any fun.----- Shudder! Now I'm grossed out. I hate insects - I'm paranoid they're going to crawl up my nose while I'm asleep, so I tend to be a nuke on sight person
by Jo @ 18/06/2003 1:07 pm • Permalink •
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John: I might try the bay leaf thing before I resort to chemicals. I don't like having ants swimming in the water going into my coffee, but I like ants covered in insecticide and swimming in my coffee water even less
by bsag @ 18/06/2003 4:06 pm • Permalink •
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But sometimes the chemicals are good too. I had this problem three years running, and ended up each time either getting the ant traps as described already, or a tube of "Nippon" ant poison.
The stuff's quite something - because it's sweet, the ants virtually dive into it, and the water for your coffee is no longer attractive at all.
by Lyle @ 19/06/2003 10:07 am • Permalink •
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