Thursday, June 4, 2009

Ants in My Pants-ry

We woke up this morning to ants in our pantry!
Now this is frustrating for several reasons.
1) We aren't even all the way moved in yet.
2) We have been battling them all week and now they have invaded my sacred food haven.
3) My husband is a bug freak. He HATES them. It is his mission in life to kill them. All of them. He has been a little army man patrolling the house armed with a bottle of Windex (his weapon of choice) ever since he spotted the first one.

We are trying to determine our long term plan of action.

I have been given a list of household remedies to try:
  • Sprinkle cinnamon where you see ants congregating to get them to back off speedily.
  • Fill a squirt bottle with plain white vinegar or 50% apple cider vinegar and 50% water and spray down surfaces where you see ants a few times a day.
  • Sprinkle black pepper wherever the ants are marching, taking care to find their entry/exit point and sprinkle pepper in that crack as well.
  • Shaklee’s Basic H (a nontoxic soap made of soybeans) can be watered down and sprayed where ants are entering/exiting to keep them at bay (this formula may bubble paint so it’s best to use it on counters and other soap & water friendly surfaces).
  • Placing bay leaves in corners and cracks where ants emerge can immediately run them off (and they can be left behind canisters and in corners for long-term ant repelling).
  • Substituting garlic cloves for bay leaves is also said to work.
  • Spray them with Windex. Kills them immediately but does not deter them from coming back.
  • Spray exterior of house with Listerine. Do this around the foundation and it is said to keep them away for 2 weeks.
I called our local pest control company this morning and am getting an estimate on having them put a hit out on our little friends. One way or another we will be rid of these critters before the weekend. Mark my words!
I'll let you know how it all works out.

4 comments:

Sylvia Grace said...

We struggle with sugar ants in our home- they are attracted to the kudzu (sp?) that grows around our neighborhood.

I'll have to try the bay leaves..... I get them in my car- especially when it rains for a few days. I sprinkle cayenne pepper around my car doors and they stay away.

I agree- ants are an aggravating pest! Good luck!

{Amanda} said...

BOOO to the ants =(

Take control Jamie Michele, this is not their home!

The Penter Family said...

call Terminix! Don't waste your time on all that other stuff. It won't fix your problem permanetly. We had ants last summer and NOTHING got rid of them for good until the pest control guys came out and took care of it. It wasn't expensive either... like $60 I think!

Rachel said...

I couldn't help but picture Ben in camo while he hunts his ants with Windex!
I have heard ants surface in neighborhoods with new construction. This should go away with time... until then your list looks great! Good Luck!