Tiny little black ants!
(note: this is NOT a picture of my counter, it's a stock photo from the Interwebs.)
The miniscule little buggers were everywhere.
I saw that a lemon and a bag of lemons had been left out overnight but I have no idea if that attracted them or not.
After scrunching several (I understate so as not to nauseate you), I gave up, fed the cat and went back to the arms of Morpheus.
But sleep would not come and I eventually arose for good and was doing battle with the teeny rascals as I brewed my morning coffee.
Judy arose and stumbled into the kitchen whereupon I confronted her with the awful truth.
We searched for some ant traps and didn't find them but we did find something that turned out to be tiny pellets which she sprinkled all over the counters.
Then I discovered a spray that was supposedly designed to kill ants and, following her orders, brought her the small hand vacuum so she could suck up all the pellets and dispose of them before spraying the counters.
We had previously moved everything, including an electric kettle and a smallish microwave, off the counters to a nearby table.
She had asked me to go out and get some ant traps and I did just that.
Let me tell you, dear readers, it was a relief to get away.
Anyway, when I got back everything had been moved back and the counters were spic and span clean.
As I told her this evening, we have to thank the ants because I don't think these counters have ever been this shiny clean.
She reminded me that that's my job as well as hers, keeping them neat and clean.
Anyway, the ant traps have been placed, the counters have been sprayed, and nary an ant has been seen this evening.
But, as the SNL character Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say, "It's always something!"
I get a counter full of those pesky buggers every couple of years. First time I had to put my glasses in to figure how why all those black spots in the granite countertop were moving. Yuk!! Good job on the good riddance.
ReplyDeleteOh boy! Sounds like you all did a thorough search and destroy! I don't mind ants outside, but inside, it's war. Those traps seem to do an excellent job. We used to get those tiny ones every spring, but haven't been blessed with them for a few years. However, I noticed that the scouts for the stinkbugs arrived today, so we are now spraying for those. Then later in October the Asian Lady Beetles will arrive. Just one scourge after another.
ReplyDeleteWe sometimes get them when there's a long rainy spell of weather. They come in under the kitchen door. A good spraying of RAID along the doorjamb and up the sides of the door frame stops them from entering.
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to get GIANT black ants that came in through her kitchen window. She used a liquid that she put on cardboard scraps and set on the counter. Supposedly they eat it and take it back to their nest, which kills the others as well. I think it was called Terro Ant Poison.
I hope to waken to a calmer day tomorrow! Yikes,
ReplyDeleteI have periodic problems with them in spite of my monthly pest control service. Terro Liquid Ant Baits are the most effective, but it sometimes takes a while. It feels like by the time you see a couple ants there are already 100s of them.
ReplyDeleteAnt party at Bruce's, 2am.
ReplyDeleteMakes my skin crawl just reading about them! Of course my worst nightmare is the cockroaches. And crickets. No fan of bugs. The attack has to be early and swift. Good job and sleep easy.
ReplyDeleteBugs belong outside, people inside. In Michigan it was mice, in Florida it was ants or palmetto bugs, kind of a giant flying roach.
ReplyDeleteIt's always something but why does it have to be a gazillion tiny ants?
ReplyDeleteSeriously, Catalyst, the best way to keep black ants out of your house is to buy a bag of diatomaceous earth and put a ring of it against the foundation of your house. As soon as we see an ant in the spring, we do this, and it solves the problem 100%. The stuff is nontoxic. It can also be used as an animal wormer, a flea powder, and in swimming pool filters.
ReplyDeleteThe ant traps have worked for us in the past but luckily we have had no invaders for the last couple of years.
ReplyDeleteNever worry about a few ants , they kill all the other bugs xx
ReplyDeleteHope you guys got them all and you don't see any more!
ReplyDelete