Ants! Bloody Ants! There are millions of them! I think you might the idea of what this blog is going to be about - yes - bloody ants!
Firstly I would like to apologise to readers for the delay in a new blog, but my rant will hopefully more than make up for it. This really is something you do not think about or often read about, and until this year I did not really get bothered by ants, but this year is different.
In the previous 4 years, the rainy season has not really been very rainy at all, yes we had some heavy downpours but even these were few and far between. This year though, since Songkran, it has not been often that we have gone more than 2 or 3 days without a good deluge. This has in turn, made the ground very wet and makes it harder for certain species to find their 'normal' food, and one of those species is bloody ants!
I have always known that if you are not particular in the kitchen with regards to good hygiene and good food storage, then yes some ants will invade the house, but nothing of significance and easily dealt with. This year however, with them having to go in search of food, are appearing in huge numbers. If you leave a single grain of cooked rice on your work-top, within no time it will be covered in them, with a whole army sneaking in where they can find access in to the home - and they always do find a way in!
They do not just eat anything though, it appears they are attracted by anything that has a sweet smelling ingredient, starch, or possibly something else, I have not managed to fathom it out yet. Outside we have cats and dogs living in the garden, so obviously their food is given to them outside too. These ants don't bother the dog biscuit which in bowls on the ground but descend in multitudes on the cat food which is place 4 foot off the ground. These bloody ants are not friendly either, they are the red variety and as such give a nasty little nip. This puts the cats off eating of course, as they are getting bitten by these little sods.
They are becoming something of a nightmare and we are having to go to some extraordinary lengths to keep them away from certain foods. Things like baguettes, which are too long to place in a plastic container, has to be put in a tubular item, standing upright, in a bowl of water, as the ants can't swim. This has become quite a regular feature in our kitchen this year, bowls of water with plates etc sitting in the water, with the food on top.
If you ever decide to live here, just bare it mind - you need to keep your kitchen spotless, or you will get an invasion by these bloody ants at some time, especially in the rainy season between May and October.
Firstly I would like to apologise to readers for the delay in a new blog, but my rant will hopefully more than make up for it. This really is something you do not think about or often read about, and until this year I did not really get bothered by ants, but this year is different.
In the previous 4 years, the rainy season has not really been very rainy at all, yes we had some heavy downpours but even these were few and far between. This year though, since Songkran, it has not been often that we have gone more than 2 or 3 days without a good deluge. This has in turn, made the ground very wet and makes it harder for certain species to find their 'normal' food, and one of those species is bloody ants!
I have always known that if you are not particular in the kitchen with regards to good hygiene and good food storage, then yes some ants will invade the house, but nothing of significance and easily dealt with. This year however, with them having to go in search of food, are appearing in huge numbers. If you leave a single grain of cooked rice on your work-top, within no time it will be covered in them, with a whole army sneaking in where they can find access in to the home - and they always do find a way in!
They do not just eat anything though, it appears they are attracted by anything that has a sweet smelling ingredient, starch, or possibly something else, I have not managed to fathom it out yet. Outside we have cats and dogs living in the garden, so obviously their food is given to them outside too. These ants don't bother the dog biscuit which in bowls on the ground but descend in multitudes on the cat food which is place 4 foot off the ground. These bloody ants are not friendly either, they are the red variety and as such give a nasty little nip. This puts the cats off eating of course, as they are getting bitten by these little sods.
They are becoming something of a nightmare and we are having to go to some extraordinary lengths to keep them away from certain foods. Things like baguettes, which are too long to place in a plastic container, has to be put in a tubular item, standing upright, in a bowl of water, as the ants can't swim. This has become quite a regular feature in our kitchen this year, bowls of water with plates etc sitting in the water, with the food on top.
If you ever decide to live here, just bare it mind - you need to keep your kitchen spotless, or you will get an invasion by these bloody ants at some time, especially in the rainy season between May and October.