Ants, ants, ants.

[DevonCiderPunk]

Trooping through my front door, up the staircase to first floor, through the kitchen and into the back garden.

It's my own fault. I noticed a few around the front door last week whilst hoovering and I lazily just hoovered them up with the crumbs. This has really annoyed them.

I've tried sweeping them up & taking them up the road, pouring boiling water regularly into the cracks in the path where they're coming from, and since Wednesday I've put those ant-bait traps down. Only change has been that they seem to be getting slightly more determined.

My youngest is 3 so I'm reluctant to use any sprays/powders.

Any strategies? And just how unhygienic are they?

We tried loads of things but the only thing that seems to be keeping them at bay is ant powder at all entryways and hoovering them up but then hoovering up some and powder so they don't live in the Hoover. We did that a week ago and have been fine since

Ooh, hoovering with powder! That might be the very thing. Thank you.

Have to admire their determination.

Have had a similar problem. Not sure they're unhygienic though. Have just hoovered or swept them up.

This
[[http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=ant+stop+bait&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=10244856512&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=748352&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15511235431664976679&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_k1bi2t42k_b]]
Very Effective!

The Bait Station, that is, it kills the ants as well as the nest as they bring the bait back to the nest and it wipes the whole nest out.

Ants are annoying but not generally carriers of disease. They are searching for food and if you don't get on top of the problem they'll invade your food cupboards. Apparently they leave a trail for each other, so once 1 ant goes to kitchen the rest follow. You need to wash/clean every surface to discourage them following the trail. You should put all food in air tight containers. I wouldn't vacuum them up as they may survive in vacuum and you don't want poisonous powder in vacuum either. Good luck.

Forgot to say try the bait things as suggested by Jenni75.

Oh you really don't want ants, impossible yo het rid of once they find your food cupboards!

Lose the relaxedness and hit the panic button now!!!

Thank you. I went for Raid spray in the end (the two bait traps haven't worked since last Wednesday.) yep everything bagged up & extra clean in kitchen (even contents of fruit bowl in plastic now!)

The trooping has completely stopped... for now...

So far, so good...

They're just looking for food. If you know where they are coming in, put some food outside for them near their entrance, they'll soon let the others know and they should all march outside to feast. Jam or marmalade is best. We did this last summer and the house cleared in less than an hour. You may have to replace the food tomorrow if they've eaten it all - move it a bit further away each day.

HTH