Sunday, June 29, 2008

Dozens of Uninvited Guests

It happened last night. When I got home from the bookstore, I grabbed some juice and went to rinse it in the sink. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Was that speck moving? Wait, that one was moving as well. I flipped a brighter light on to confirm my suspicion that I had uninvited guests: ANTS.

There was no long line parading in to indicate the source. I looked all around the kitchen and they seemed to be located near the sink. I grabbed a paper towel and tried to smash them, but they are so tiny that they easily escaped.

Then I spied the duct tape on the table because that is where everyone keeps their duct tape. In a flash, I peeled off a piece and rolled it on top of those uninvited guests. It did the trick. For safety sake, I took it outside to the trashcan.

Sigh. I've had to do it a couple more times. And just now I spied one in the downstairs bathroom. I am not happy. They need to go! Before I drop a bundle on sprays and traps and such, does anyone know the best brand or way of taking care of these tiny pests? It has to be pet safe because keeping my cats out of harms way anywhere in the house would be next to impossible.

Pest solutions invited!





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4 comments:

ThreeGirlyGirls said...

Oh girl, we've too had the "invasion of the ants" in our house. Someone told me to try vinegar. But I would google it if I were you, we took the old fashion BUG SPRAY THAT KILLS IT ALL route and we set off a "bomb" in the house. But I know you have to be careful so...try the vinegar?? =)

Anonymous said...

One thing that i had work fairly well was those little round green canisters. you can place them anywhere... you use a key to open up spaces in teh bottom, and the ants get in and take the poison back to their nest. our cats batted them around, but coudln't get anything out of them. if you have very low furniture, or even a low coffee maker or somthing on the counter near your sink (where the cats can't get a paw under, try Terro (sp??) Its a liquid that you put a drop on a small piece of cardboard. You can slip it under nearly anything. the ants love it, take it to the nest and literally within about 2 days they are gone. Just keep refilling the cardboard as necessary.
I have used those on the counter under our coffee pot, under a cabinet in our living room, and on a window ledge that the cats and kids can't reach. then in the areas that they can, i have used the round canisters (can't remember the brand, but if you go the pest section of a store, you will see them... green) The canisters take longer, but the combo really seemed to work, and kept them away all summer.
Hope that helps. that and keeping the counters and floors really clean (no sticky juice etc which is a challenge with kids...)

on another note: Thank you so much for your prayers for my family. Please pray for my husband. One of his patients passed away last week, and the family contacted him to do a memorial picture/song video-slideshow for the memorial service. He used to use powerpoint, but now uses a movie making program... anyway, between him working on that tomorrow (his day off) and me going to the funeral on tuesday, its going to be a bit of a hard start to the week.

Thanks again...
God bless,
Heather

Heather said...

Spray and traps both work for those teeny tiny ants. A lot of sprays are harmless for animals. Just check.

Kelli said...

I had the same problem. After using countless sprayes, etc...that you can purchase at the store, I finally decided to go the slightly more expensive route & hired Orkin. They came out & for around $100 they sprayed & put trapes out. The only ants I've seen since they came are dead ones & I've not seen them for a few weeks now, so I'm pretty sure whatever they did worked.