-Jr Family Blog

When you open that package on your counter that you thought you had so cleverly protected by putting the opening upside down and find your cookies swarming with ants…do not fear! No, don’t eat them either, but do not panic or get angry. There are methods you can enlist to help you defeat the little crawling intruders.

*Seal everything. Put cereal into plastic or other (glass?) containers and make sure the lids seal well. Put flour bags into other bags and tie the outer bags, and put your other baking ingredients, like other flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, etc. into properly sized containers made and sold for that purpose. Mine are hand-me-downs from my mother and they work wonderfully.

*Check your dishes before you put them back into the cupboard.

*Start using a designated ant rag. I am using this idea from a friend and I am so happy with it. My ant rag is pink and I hope the ants have come to fear it! Once you have a few dozen ants squished or otherwise captured on it, you can take it over to the sink and wash them all down the drain. Mwahahahaha!!!

*Rotate and check your cup before you drink out of it, even if you have been holding it the whole time. Ants can be sneaky and one almost crawled onto my face the other day via my water cup.

*If you must leave food out on the counter, be sure it is properly covered. I baked banana bread yesterday for Luke’s birthday today and there is a big bowl over the baking pan. Normally I put it in a big plastic bag; I just haven’t done that yet.

*Throw away your soiled napkins and kleenexes. Take out the trash as soon as it is full enough. Pick up bits of food you see on the floor, table and counter and throw or wash them away. Clean your pots and pans until they are squeaky clean before they go back on the stove or their storage to wait to be used again, so they do not attract bugs. Make the extra effort to avoid spraying with chemicals.

*Teach your children and pets that the bugs you are trying to kill off are not friends. Let them see you dispose of them.