Ant Alert!

There are small black specks on my countertop. And, they are moving! The specks have legs. The annual ant invasion is underway.

These hardy insects do this every spring. I don’t know why. I don’t invite them. And what do they think they will gain from my kitchen? A few grains of spilled sugar, maybe?

The ants usually send out scouts, don’t they? In case that old tale is true, I’ve been very unkind and abrupt to those scouts, making sure they didn’t return to their comrades with tales of a land of plenty. But, somehow, the ants didn’t take the hint and just sent out more stalwart little raiders. I think the world has an unending supply of tiny, black ants.

I may have to resort to chemical warfare which I do not like but I’ve tried home remedies, even a left-over pesticide from last year. I’ve tried sprinkling cinnamon, and I saw a group of the ants laughing and frolicking, throwing cinnamon dust over their heads as they swam around in this aromatic brown dust.

The ants are not easily discouraged and I should take a lesson from them on the benefits of tenacity, but, hopefully, these minute invaders will at last realize there are more fruitful pickings elsewhere, their daily forays into my kitchen will end, and the countertops will once more be my own. I’m just glad the ants aren’t any bigger.

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