Ant trails in the house [View all]

[Marthe48]

I have little ants on the sink again this year. I heard the ants create scent trails as they move along. The last few years, I've tried to avoid killing insects, because I hear that the Earth is losing biodiversity and I figure every critter is part of that. I didn't care so much that they were on the sink, because I stored food elsewhere. After tolerating ants for 2 years, the little so and sos have gotten to the stove. I'm not sure if they found a circuitous route or if I'm transferring them if I move pans or dishcloths from one surface to another. I've been trying to disrupt or destroy their scent trails, but it's a battle.

As I plot to outwit the ants, I have to wonder, how do they lay the trails? They are walking the equivalent of miles from their nest to my sink to the counters. The stove had to be like space travel to another planet. If the ants have found a way to breach space, are they seriously leaving trails across the counter, down the wall and up the stove? Is each any just a mobile pheromones factory? Is that all they do: search for food, make pheromones and die? Do they bother going back to the nest? Or do they just wander around leaving their mark with every one of their six stupid little feet? I guess more research is necessary, but maybe if I spent less time researching and more time keeping the kitchen clean, I wouldn't have this many ants.

I am in the process of cleaning my stove sides, maybe the wall behind. I accidentally discovered that they don't like Wright's Silver Polish. so after I clean out the sink, I'm wiping the surfaces with that. Happy Earth Day :/