This time they are in the kitchen. My mistake, I have waited too long to bring the compost bag downstairs. Last time was during the hot and dry month of July. They had found their way to the restroom in quest of water. These are the two most common causes for ants invasions of our houses along with flooding and cold.

I do not mind ants. They are actually quite fascinating. Difficult to imagine a living creature that clean and so dedicated to the survival and prosperity of its own “people”. They are essential to our ecosystem and to preventing the spread of diseases. They feed on dead animals and recycle dead vegetable. They also control other insects activities and growth such as flea and fly larvae and termites. I like to see them as my garden maids. My son asked me “how can they be so clean?”. They build a very complex nest, made of corridors, meeting / sanitation rooms, in which some ant workers’ role is to maintain the hygiene of the colony, defending it against disease organisms and pests. Actually, many health care facilities would envy such cleanliness.

Not all ants would have had my sympathy, but a) it was not a massive invasion and b) these ants were friendly – as friendly an ant might be. I guess my sons must have made sense of my explanations or showed great compassion for their nutty Papa, because we cohabited with them in the restroom for the next 3-4 weeks without any problem. I only had to promise I’ll contain them to this area. They were here for the water. They behaved themselves very well. And then it rained and then they left.

What would I have done if, you may ask? The first thing to do is to locate their pathway to your home. In this case it was the window. Once this is done, spray some natural soap mixed with water at the point of entry to block any ant from entering while you are eliminating all traces of ants earlier presence. You can make your own ant repellent by crushing thyme flowers or leaves with lemon juice, basil leafs are also efficient but can leave a green stain (a bit painful to remove when dried up). But if you want an over the counter ready-to-use solution, I’ll strongly recommend CleanWell Hand Sanitizer. This product has not finished to amaze me. Second phase, you need to remove the entire line of ants using – now widely available – a lightly damp microfiber cloth, which will as well remove the chemical trail the ants have used to remember where (and why) to go there. Make sure you have removed all ants from the invaded area and none are entering. Spray the trail, let it dry overnight. Repeat the operation the next day to make sure the ants have no ways of relocating the trail to their objective.

Now, let’s rake a look at pesticides: do they work in eradicating the colony. A Stanford survey shows no proof it does. It is very much like believing you’ll get ride of the snail and slug populations that keep ruining the tomatoes and strawberries you’re growing in your garden by applying the American anti-heroes SandMan, I mean Ortho (Check Metaldehyde profile on pestcicdeinfo.org). You’ll need to spray these chemicals once every 3 to 4 weeks to minimize the invasion (no eradication guaranteed). Next thing you know: someone in your household is coughing (asthma) or you beloved cat has not showed up for a week. Yes, it can be that bad on everyone.

Californians for Alternatives to Toxics offer other tips on how to control invasive ants. I suggest to learn about the species you have around. But most importantly, avoid killing the entire colony. You might be very very sorry when the termites take over the empty nest.

*According to Phil S. Ward, California Ant Curator, there are approximatively 290 species in sunny California, however fewer than a dozen are important pests. But only one represents a danger to the ecosystem – in terms of both natural habitat and agriculture – and occasionally to people, the Red (Imported) Fire Ant or Solenopsis invicta. When disturbed, these reddish brownish ants characteristically “boil out” of the mound and aggressively swarm over a victim and sting repeatedly. If the pain is bearable for an adult, it can become a safety issue for sensitized people and young children.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS