Antz

Last week Steve and I noticed a few sugar ants here and there in the kitchen. We couldn't figure out what was bringing them inside; maybe the colder weather? Steve got some spray over the weekend, but by the time I got home the ants were back. I don't like the idea of spraying poison in the kitchen either, so I went to the drugstore across the road. They didn't have the normal kind of ant traps, the ones that smell like peanut butter and work without you ever knowing the ants have died. They did have a liquid that you put on pieces of foil or cardboard and is said to be slow enough that the ants can carry the poison back to their colonies before dying. I assume the stuff is sugar-based to attract the ants, but I was not prepared for this.

Apparently ants view sugar water like humans see soda (or tequila), and since I was giving it out for free the few original ants must have gone and told their buddies (and their buddies' buddies) about the party in our kitchen. I put several of these watering holes out and each one was crammed like a dog nursing her puppy litter. Interestingly, it is mesmerizing for me to watch ants; great procrastination tactic. The package does say something like it gets worse before it get better, but days later I am still seeing more ants than we originally had, plus a few ant carcasses here and there. Will get the peanut butter stuff next time.