Hi everyone,

Been awake since 4.28 a.m. after having an awful nightmare where my seven year old daughter got kidnapped from me by three yobs driving past in a car. We (my daughter and I) were walking along the pavement when a car came past, back door opened and the guy in the back grabbed her arm and yanked her away from me. Then they sped off, my daughter sprawled face down over his knee. I was in a blind panic when I woke, couldn't breathe properly and close to tears. I now feel like c***! Came downstairs, had a cup of tea and lit a ciggie (in kitchen, don't smoke in rest of house). Sat contemplating the floor tiles in the kitchen ... as you do ... and noticed a couple of ants waltzing round. Don't normally like to "squish" ants but Mum said she saw one in the fridge the other day, so decided squishing was definitely in order. Just been back in (after sitting on here for an hour reading posts, trying to regain my sanity) and found some more. Now squished 9 in total. Any advice on how to get rid of them (something less time-consuming than trying to hunt down each individual ant to squish it?). I think that they may be coming from lounge as we've seen quite a lot by the bay window in there (we look out on open field and live next to a wood, lol). Nice place to be but would rather the bugs stayed out not in. Don't know what I can use though with having Sam + two cats?

Any advice (apart from house move!) greatly appreciated.

Helen.

Sorry you had such a bad night, bet something brought it on, can you think what it may have been if you can it will help clear it from your mind. Now to the ants, if you look outside around the window your may see where they are coming in if you can put Nippon on the walk near where they are or in the crack where they are coming in, make sure it is high enough for the dog not to be able to reach it of keep it out of that area for a few days. When the ants have gone fill entrance hole in. Or if you can trace the nest you can use boiling water.

You can buy an ant-killer gel which you need to put into a small dish or foil container(like the ones little cakes come in) place well out of reach of any pets,preferably in the ants 'run',behind a cupboard or cooker is usually the place you'll find them.This gel attaches to them and they take it back to the nest where it should kill off the blighters :D

Never had them indoors luckily but lots in the garden during the summer and our previous dog always chose that spot to sunbathe in!
Jacqueline

I'd second this - I had a friend round the other evening, and couldn't take my eyes off the ants crawling on the wall behind my kitchen bin, which was behind him, all evening........... Got some Nippon ant gel from the hardware shop the next day (£1.92 I think) and the next day they were all gone - just trickled it down the wall they were climbing up........

If you put out lots of yeast for the ants they will eat it and then explode :D  More environmentally safe than chemicals if you have dogs and children around and much more fun :D

Hi Digger

Ants often go out in a different direction every day unless they have found a permanent food source so you may need to keep an eye out and redo the "treatment" when they reach your direction again.

If you just can't use any poison because your dogs/cats can reach it half fill a very smooth sided jam jar with sugary water (or some jam covered with water.  When the ants go to drink it knock some of them in, as more go to drink the ones that are in the water often pull the others in so you end up with a jar full of drowned ants.  The disadvantage with this method is that some will take the "food" back to the nest, but it is environmentally, if not ant, friendly.  If you don't like the idea of them drowning empty it every half hour or so and squish them.

I prefer to use the gel where I can as find it is very efficient.

Thanks everyone for the replies. Sending OH out today to get some Nipon. There seems to be one crack where they come in the lounge, can see it from inside but not outside so not sure where I'll put it. It seems quite a long trek for them to go into the kitchen from the lounge, so there may be somewhere else where they're coming in. Have to get myself into "SpY Mode" and track the little blighters down!

As for the nightmare, no idea where that came from. The only thing different last night was that I took a cup of Horlicks to bed. Thought it was supposed to relax you, not wake you up rigid, lol.

Ah well, felt a lot better for talking about it. Hubby was snoring at full volume so didn't like to wake him. Thanks all for being there :-D

Helen