Ant Traps

We continue to learn the hard way. We had an ant invasion upon moving into our new home this week. Immediately I poured Borax on the opening and around the floor. We added vinegar. We cleaned the bathroom completely. The ants were not deterred. I'm no ant aficionado so I can't tell you the specifics of this type of ant, but their primary characteristic is that they're tiny. Miniscule. And there were so many!

I innocently bought several ant traps. Anyone with MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) knows that there is no innocent purchase of a toxic substance. I reasoned that a few ant traps on the floor of the bathroom won't do any significant harm. I put one in Shannon's closet behind the bathroom. (She found ants in her shoes.) And I put two in the kitchen.

The four youngest had an exciting game of Monopoly going in the kitchen yesterday. Right next to the ant traps. Within two hours Reagan had a nosebleed unlike anything we've seen in weeks. Kaitlyn broke out with a rash on her arms. Tempers flared. Sinuses congested.

And the ant traps were removed.

I'm back to cayenne pepper, cinnamon, Borax, and vinegar. And deterrence. We put duct tape over possible entrances and we're cleaning the floor after every meal.

If you're not infested with them, ants are fascinating creatures. They are adaptable, work well together, defend themselves, and carry a load up to 50 times their own body weight. It's the load part that inspires me. Mine feels heavy today. Too heavy. I want to keep this colony going. If an ant can do it, I can too.