Post 37. Revenge of the ants!

Ant-Update!! 

Last week, I made a post about the war me and the Hubs had with ants suddenly coming into our home. A week later, I started seeing them again, venturing into my home but always near the same spot. So, obviously, it was time to get serious! 

        Those little suckers are still trying their hardest to invade my home! Seriously, they won't take the hint. I finally found a tiny hole in the wall where they were coming inside. So, I filled the hole with pesticide and sealed it off with some stick gum. 

I was feeling pretty damn good about myself until I finished cleaning the room and got to the corner furthest away from the hole. Because on the floor, there were a bunch of dying ants. 

It was clear they have a tunnel in the wall. 

       After freaking out, because I was now officially a mass murderer, I destroyed the evidence quickly and gave that corner a good round with the pesticide as well. 

After cleaning up, I get a watchful eye on that corner, trying  to figure out where their exit had been. 

Later in the day, I got a visit from the sister and brothers. (That's right, I called in re-enforcements) My brother tracked the ants outside so we now know kinda where they are getting into the house. 

My landlord, who lives above me, has also been noticing some ant traffic into his home. He told me we would have to find their lair. Okay, he said nest but lair sounds cooler! 

This proved difficult until my son found it. 

My GOD! 

       Their lair isn't too far from the house but it is a huge hill and from where I stood it looked like a writhing, pulsing nightmare! 

We've already gotten some advice on what to do and are taking measures to... 

How do I say this?

DESTROY THEM! 

Today, however, I busied myself by getting some sealers to seal off any and ALL cracks/holes in my apartment in an honest attempt to keep them out while I wait for their untimely death... Muahahahahahahahahahahaahahaha! 

(Ok, I really need a break from this ant business and pesticide!)

Post 33. Ants in my house. This means war!!

         Yes, the day before yesterday, I saw an Ant, strolling along on my kitchen wall. This guy was not small, nor was he in a hurry. My kids and I actually stared at it for a few seconds before I got up and got the vacuum.
          After I had disposed of the intruder, I went back to getting the kids to bed. Now, in the following hours, we found three more ants inside our home.
Obviously, there was a problem.

Coming from Iceland, we don't have many ants and very few ant problems. So, I started by googling ants.  (Eeeeeeew!) I found out so much more than I needed to know.
After confirming a vague memory of them leaving some sort of trail (it's a scent trail, in case you wanted to know. If you didn't... Sorry!) I started to google how to keep them out. How to prevent them from entering your home and so on and so forth.

          I don't like bugs, as I've mentioned on this blog before, but I really don't have an issue with them as long as they stay out of my domain. No joke. My home is my domain and they are not allowed entry. They live outside and I will try not to step on them when I leave my house and they stay out of my home. This seems totally fair to me.

          Now, I read some interesting stuff about how to keep them away. I wanted to try something natural and repellent. The internet did not disappoint in terms of ideas.
One person suggested chalk. Something in the chalk is supposed to repel ants from crossing a line you make with it. Well, I put that to the test. (There are soooo many ants near my house, I live next to the woods, so I had plenty of guinea pigs.)
Turns out, these critters didn't give a hoot about a line, or a circle drawn in chalk. Ok, let's try something else.

          Someone suggested salt. Oh, I loved that idea. I wanted to get my flannel shirt and pie on right there, it was soo Supernatural. The ants were ghosts and I spread the salt around a few of them.
Well... If I had been Dean Winchester, I would have had to fight my way out of this. Those bastards didn't care at ALL about the salt, just strolled right over it.
Next on the list, lemon juice!
         I squeeze lemons and did a little test run. This had some effect. For about 10 minutes. Then they seemed to like the taste of it.

After a few trials like this, I admitted defeat. I would have to get some pesticide.
There was a mind-boggling array of these things. I picked two and got back to the Hubs. (What? You didn't think I was fighting this war alone, did you?) 
People who fight bugs together, stay together... Right?
We tackled each room of the house along with the outside permiter, windows, doors, and ventilation. Basically, any place they could be getting in.
        We cleaned everything, and I do mean Everything, with a blend which is supposed to erase the scent trail and keep others from coming after them.
To say we were exhausted by the time the kids came home, would be an understatement.
After all our efforts, we found one ant crawling on our ceiling. Probably looking to escape, the poor thing.

        So, far that and a turbo spider who got in this morning, it's looking better. I hope I can stop looking at the wall every three seconds soon. That spider, though, I will be having nightmares about that thing.
At least, I can take comfort in the fact the spider doesn't have friends who will come looking for it.
Right???

RIGHT????

Post 30. I am not a fan of bugs... Like at all.

Well, the sun is out OUT out OUT and it's wonderfully warm and lovely.

Except for one thing....

BUGS. BUGS EVERYWHERE. 

      They are out in force and I'm having trouble keeping them out of my home. That's right, I hate them very much :) 

With this heat, I need to be able to open a window every once in a while but there's an army of spiders just waiting to get in on the other side. 

       Now, I know I'm armed with my vacuum cleaner, hairspray and my sneakers but I really just want my space to be bug-free. 

Through the years (yes, even in Iceland) I've tried all sorts of things to keep them out. I've tried bug spray, I've tried natural scents, nets, tape and you name it. 

All of these worked, kind of. 

        But right now, I simply can't be bothered to put all these defenses up. Not to mention some of the scented stuff really calls to one kind of bug while scaring another. 

        While I'm writing, in this amazing weather, my kids want me to bake cookies. (In this heat, are you nuts? My answer to them, however, is always, We'll see.) 

Maybe I can make the batter tonight and bake it tomorrow morning before my house becomes a steam room. 

          I really wish I could be one of those people who isn't bothered by bugs at all. A wasp flies in their face and they simply close their eyes and wait for the sucker to leave. 

Me? 

Oh, I close my eyes too. And whip around, climb over my hubs to get away and run as fast as my feet can carry me in the other direction. 

Oh, well. I will simply have to try to get over this in time. And by time, I mean in the next 1000 years :) 

Hope y'all are having a great Wedsnday.