Over the next week, we saw the odd ant on the worktop. I picked them up and threw them outside, asking them not to come back. Then I killed the next few, but realised that was futile as the colonby would just send replacements.
I cleaned the worktops and the stiff on it, and moved anything vagiely edible off it on to shelves. I hoped that the ants would go back and report that there was nothing of interest and they'd not bother to invade.
I searched for the entrance point, but failed. Outside, the ant activity increased, but we couldn't see where they were getting in, nor where they were going to. DH was adamant we'd have to find the nest and destroy it. I baulked at that. We've done it once before, and I always regretted it. (I know they are only ants, but they aren't generally doing any harm and they have the right to live).
We then had 4 ants over two different (adjacent) worktops. Small Person was here, and she reminded me about talcum powder. If I could find where they were coming in, I'd try that.
Yesterday afternoon, I opened the condiments cupboard and an ant came out. I checked, he was on his own. I checked the other food cupboards, no ants. Last night, there were 8 ants running around on the worktop.
I could see that this was going to end in an invasion, and that is horrible to deal with. We had an invasion when I was a child, and it wasn't pleasant. We'd had an invasion here once, that's when we destroyed the nest I mentioned earlier.
I didn't have anywhere to put talc, but I did decide to try an ant bait station. I had two in a drawer so, last night, I opened one up and put it on the worktop. DH was not impressed. The ants avoided it.
This morning, we had no ants on the worktop.
I'm not sure if the scouts have died, or if they've gone back and the ant bait has made the colony decide not to invade, or if they are rallying troops ready to invade. Or, of course, if I've sent back poison which is going to kill the colony.
I guess we'll find out.
