ProANTivity: Odysseus recaptures Ithaca and his Hearth

The ants came to the house five days ago.

I had memories of the time the Metaphortress was attacked, they kicked back into me, a bad dream clutching white knuckle on the steering wheel, driving me to instant madness...and this time, instant action.

So the soap and water treatment began.  A relatively eco-friendly bug killer, and cheap: I cleared the kitchen in seconds.  When Tanner got home, we tracked their entry point (a few crevices in his room) and cleared the kitchen of even the smallest crumb of food.

Three days later, they were back, and in a greater number than before.  They didn't even seem to be searching for food, merely a warm place to stay.  And, perhaps, build a hive.  So I ran to the Alhambra Rite Aid, murder on the mind, nearly ran a stop sign or two in my haste, and bought the most invasive bug sprayer I could find.

It's Raid MAX, and it's motorized.  A MOTORIZED NOZZLE.  This stuff is murderous.  So I lined our baseboards, sprayed inside the holes, in the holes between the cabinets and the washing machine, under and around the oven, the fridge, Tanner's baseboards...

That night.  Today. No ants.  Just the smell of "No Odor" Raid MAX, which is unsurprisingly, not odorless.  It smells like skull and crossbones on a glass bottle.

So don't lick the floor near our baseboards for at least...12 months.  That's how long the bottle claims the stuff kills roaches after first application.

The key is to be proactive with pests. Much as in other things in life.

I am hoping that this blog is that...the string of energy that eventually leads to my long term writing goals.  Even if it's just the soap and water beginning before I bust out the death serum.