They're back!
I was in my bathroom drying my hair and happened to notice two ants crawling around on the floor. It was at that moment that I realized it was truly summer. Not twelve hours later, I walked into the kitchen for a snack and what was once a white stove was now black and moving. I started all the ant killing and clean up only to be moved by the next onslaught. It was at that moment I stopped and really looked at the situation before me.
A job to do!
It is well known, though hard to remember when they are in your home, that ants are very busy workers during the summer. It is their nature, during this time of year, to get out there and grab as much as they can to fill up their own storehouses for the winter to come. They, like we, have little mouths that will need feeding. They, like we, need fuel and food to keep things going in their house. So I decided to help them out while helping them out of my kitchen.
What I did!
I have found that ants are partial to chicken bones, so I grabbed a leftover chicken wing, ate most of the meat off of it and then put it very near their entrance into my home. After that, I sprayed my kitchen counters and the trail from the stove to a half a foot where the chicken bone was laying. At that point, I made a small half circle around the area of their entrance and the bone, basically quarantining them to that one small area. When I left for work 4 hours later, there were no ants outside of the marked area, but inside the area there was a feast going on! No, I don't intend to leave that bone on my floor, nor the ants in my house, but I am giving them some food to take back to the nest without compromising my home.
Why not kill them all?
As annoying as ants are, they serve a greater purpose in the eco-system and need to be preserved for our well being. Here is a list of some of the reasons why we should give the little gals a break:
They are excellent earth movers and by doing so they help with circulate nutrients in the soil.
They are a food source to numerous birds, fish and even bears!
Some species are now being looked at for the medical importance!
What we can all do!
If you want to give the ants a hand and keep them out of your home, there are some things you can try.
When you see the first ant out, "the scout", look all around the outside of your house for ant nests, especially nearest the house.
Start, discreetly, setting some of their favorite foods where you notice them coming from. For example, chicken bones, old vegetables that are starting to rot, sweets. Throughout the summer, check on the food you set out for them and replenish as needed
By giving the ants a ready food source you are helping their colony, helping to keep a balance in nature and keeping them from coming in your house looking for crumbs!
