Spring Time Is Ant Time

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lighthearted
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 9:20 pm
Location: USA

Spring Time Is Ant Time

Post by lighthearted »

In previous years, I have (sometimes) taken the time to carry out the little guys. They only hang around for about 3 weeks each Spring. Today's warm weather brought them out in abundance. Dozens!

I recognize my frustration: I live on the second floor. And see the trips down and up the stairs an inconvenience.

How do others view, and act with, loving kindness to insects in the home? And, how does one view killing insects in terms of karma?

BTW - I leave alone the spiders in the house. :smile:
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randomseb
Posts: 255
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 10:12 am

Re: Spring Time Is Ant Time

Post by randomseb »

We have a family of carpenter ants living under a heater in our dinning area, and the little buggers like to explore! I often have to tell them to get off the counter and put them back on the floor, crazy guys.. They are not small, these things! Always have to be watching the floor to make sure I don't accidentally step on one too. Every now and then we collect a bunch (they like to run out and scurry around in a panic if you do things in front of the heater under which they hang out) and show them to the garden, but of course there are always more! At least the winged ones are gone now, those ones were more annoying due to their climbing the walls and such!

We tried putting chopped raw garlic cloves out in front of their area, they didnt appreciate that and moved them some ways away! I tried putting some cinnamon around to form a fence in front of their home, they apparently moved the cinnamon away! Tried vinegar to erase their pheromone trails so they'd stop hanging out in our side, but that evaporates and doesnt stop them much. \

Their antics when they cross one of these scent barriers is pretty cute and funny though.. They reach up with their front legs and wipe their antennae in a very mammalian kind of way, left, right, left, right wipe wipe wipe.. almost, I don't know, feline.

All in all, the solution seems to be to be mindful of not harming them by accident, and otherwise just sharing the space with them, and moving them if they are doing something they shouldn't be, like any pet.
Disclaimer: If I have posted about something, then I obviously have no idea what I am talking about!
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