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| Photo: Maksim Shutov |
THE ANTS GO MARCHING ONE BY ONE
We've got ants.And I don't understand why these itty-bitty creatures insist on seeking out our house when they can have the great outdoors for themselves—which from an ant's perspective must seem enormous. There are plenty of houses in the neighborhood. Why the Mrvs'? Maybe they like the smell of cooking or a vacation away from the colony?
Judging by the army of ants, you'd think we'd hung a plaque on the front door that says "Welcome Y'all" as is customary with many Kentuckians.
Our kitchen is under siege. These ants are perfectly camouflaged—their black bodies blend with the dark granite countertops. So, how does one fight them? We tried ant baits.
Judging by the army of ants, you'd think we'd hung a plaque on the front door that says "Welcome Y'all" as is customary with many Kentuckians.
Our kitchen is under siege. These ants are perfectly camouflaged—their black bodies blend with the dark granite countertops. So, how does one fight them? We tried ant baits.
In about a week the battle was over, but before their demise they must have called for reinforcements because in no time, their huge cousins (seriously, picture ants on steroids) crawled on the deck, the patio, and the front porch and then invaded our house. Let me tell you, this troop traveled in hordes.
By now you've realized that I am not a fan of ants, but let me throw in that I equally abhor spiders. It's possible they could help with the ant invasion, but they're not allowed in the house either. No arachnid is going to share my living space, despite the fact they eat ants.
There is nothing funny about ants, unless we cover the funny-sounding word shpilkes pronounced: spill-kees. Shpilkes is Yiddish for “pins and needles” or in other words, being fidgety or feeling anxious, like having
ants in your pants. When people can’t be still or pace back and forth, they are said to have the shpilkes.
That's about as funny as it gets with ants.
My husband set out new ant baits, but these did not combat the enemy. So, he resorted to spraying Raid insecticide (a great product name when you think about it because a raid is defined as a hostile and surprise attack). But after the hostile and surprise attack, the ants were for the most part unfazed.
We were losing the battle and figured it might be time to call an exterminator.
Before surrendering and calling in the big guns, I goggled homemade bug killers and found that a 50/50 solution of water mixed with white vinegar is supposed to stop ants in their tracks. Easy enough. Mix, aim, and squirt. Time will tell if this simple tactic will work.
You might think this blog is giving ants a bad rep. I mean, all they've done is crawl on the kitchen floor. They haven't gotten into any food. They haven't bitten us. And they amuse our cat Ozzie.
The Old Farmer's Almanac states ants can be helpful: "Most ants nest in the ground, digging a labyrinth of tunnels that allow air and moisture to get to the roots of plants. The leaves and insects brought into the nest decay and fertilize the surrounding plants. Many ants are predators and feed on insects that attack lawns and gardens, and in the process of gathering food, they often pollinate flowers and distribute seeds."
After learning about the benefits of ants you might think I'd feel guilty about the way we've treated them. But these benefits take place outside—in the lawn or in a garden.
And definitely not in the house. If ants could read, I would put little signs on the deck by the kitchen door informing them to Bug Off! That might seem a bit harsh, so I would put up one more sign in the garden that would say Welcome Y'all! That way, we'd come to a truce. We'd all be happy. These itty-bitty creatures might be inclined to accept the invitation and make the great outdoors all theirs.
By now you've realized that I am not a fan of ants, but let me throw in that I equally abhor spiders. It's possible they could help with the ant invasion, but they're not allowed in the house either. No arachnid is going to share my living space, despite the fact they eat ants.
There is nothing funny about ants, unless we cover the funny-sounding word shpilkes pronounced: spill-kees. Shpilkes is Yiddish for “pins and needles” or in other words, being fidgety or feeling anxious, like having
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| courtesy Amazon.com |
That's about as funny as it gets with ants.
My husband set out new ant baits, but these did not combat the enemy. So, he resorted to spraying Raid insecticide (a great product name when you think about it because a raid is defined as a hostile and surprise attack). But after the hostile and surprise attack, the ants were for the most part unfazed.
We were losing the battle and figured it might be time to call an exterminator.
Before surrendering and calling in the big guns, I goggled homemade bug killers and found that a 50/50 solution of water mixed with white vinegar is supposed to stop ants in their tracks. Easy enough. Mix, aim, and squirt. Time will tell if this simple tactic will work.
You might think this blog is giving ants a bad rep. I mean, all they've done is crawl on the kitchen floor. They haven't gotten into any food. They haven't bitten us. And they amuse our cat Ozzie.
The Old Farmer's Almanac states ants can be helpful: "Most ants nest in the ground, digging a labyrinth of tunnels that allow air and moisture to get to the roots of plants. The leaves and insects brought into the nest decay and fertilize the surrounding plants. Many ants are predators and feed on insects that attack lawns and gardens, and in the process of gathering food, they often pollinate flowers and distribute seeds."
After learning about the benefits of ants you might think I'd feel guilty about the way we've treated them. But these benefits take place outside—in the lawn or in a garden.
And definitely not in the house. If ants could read, I would put little signs on the deck by the kitchen door informing them to Bug Off! That might seem a bit harsh, so I would put up one more sign in the garden that would say Welcome Y'all! That way, we'd come to a truce. We'd all be happy. These itty-bitty creatures might be inclined to accept the invitation and make the great outdoors all theirs.
À la prochaine!
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