Posted by Sue on 21:51:51 4/22/2010 from 70.26.39.89:We live in a 9-yr old house and are the original owners. A few years ago, we started having ant problems in about April/May, lasting until about June. We see them mostly in the kitchen, and sometimes wandering around the main floor of the house. In past years I've occasionally seen them in the bathroom directly above the kitchen, but not this year (so far at least).
We can't figure out how the ants are getting in, and have none of the usual triggers--rotting wood, firewood, etc., outside our home, and no known moisture problems. I often find ants in the dishwasher, and assumed that it was because of the food residue on the dirty dishes. We rarely see ants after June, which is the only thing that's kept me sane through all of this.
My new neighbors (a few doors down) have discovered ants in their home and have freaked out, called in the exterminators, etc., and now I'm worried. Their home was treated last year, but now the ants are back again. I'd like to take a stab at fixing this problem ourselves before signing on for the $450 annual plan their exterminator is recommending, especially since their ants came back again this spring.
How do I know if there's a nest in the house? I've never seen a winged ant in the house, and the number of ants we typically see in a day is small, probably around 25. Could they just be foragers from an exterior nest?
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