Over the last few weeks, since just before Christmas we have suffered from an ant invasion. These ants are incredibly small but also incredibly numerous. They love anything protein or sweet. Look out if you leave the honey lid slightly open, they are in there like a flash. If we don't do the washing up for a couple of hours after a meal they are in there again, most noticeable after the evening meal. There are so many of them that they look like a black coating on whatever they are feeding on. They also give off a horrible stench (formic acid) when squashed which doesn't disappear when you try and get rid of them with hot water (flushing them off the plates before you wash them - you don't want them in the washing up water do you?????) We've been spraying white vinegar on the benches which has deterred them a little but they still seem to keep coming back. 
Well things really took a turn for the worse today. Hannah and Nathan were making meringues. They pulled the electric mixer out of the cupboard and began to mix the egg whites, when, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, ants began appearing. I was in the other room and could hear Nathan venting his fury at the horrible little pests. Eventually he turned the mixer off and began to bang it on the bench. Lots of ants came tumbling out. After a short while and lots of thumps on the bench, plus cries of 'Phew, these ants smell disgusting', he began mixing again.
I was wondering why they were in the mixer. I think they were feeding on the residue of previous mixings - UGH!
Well things really took a turn for the worse today. Hannah and Nathan were making meringues. They pulled the electric mixer out of the cupboard and began to mix the egg whites, when, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, ants began appearing. I was in the other room and could hear Nathan venting his fury at the horrible little pests. Eventually he turned the mixer off and began to bang it on the bench. Lots of ants came tumbling out. After a short while and lots of thumps on the bench, plus cries of 'Phew, these ants smell disgusting', he began mixing again.
I was wondering why they were in the mixer. I think they were feeding on the residue of previous mixings - UGH!
Maybe you should get an exterminator...
ReplyDeleteHopefully you've got rid of them by now but why didn't you put some ant rid down? Works really well on small black ants. We have had Argentine ants - minute brown ants. They don't like ant rid at all, so you have to use ant and roach dust, which has insecticide in it, but it works. Fortunately they didn't find their way to the kitchen before I found them. I put the dust round the outside of the house and it stopped them from coming in. Haven't seen them again but no doubt they'll be back.
ReplyDeleteYes, we tried ant rid which was absolutely hopeless. We didn't know about ant and roack dust. Eventually we used baygon dust around the nest entrance. I haven't seen them since Bruce has been in Melbourne so I think they're finally defeated! I left a cutting board out last night that had had fruit on it and no ants appeared. Phew!
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