There are at least 20 quadrillion ants in this world. They are not all in my kitchen. Some of them are in yours. The usual home ant is the little black ant. A lady worker ant (servant) sniffs a crumb or three, sends out a notice (pheromone) to her nest mates, and bingo!
My daughter found ants in her bed and she is the tidiest of people. Since you will probably want to be sure what type of ant you are discouraging…you need a magnifying glass. Capture an ant. Turn it upside down. See if there are one or two nodes at the abdominal petiole. Are you still excited? Has life been a bit dull? The internet speaks: “The rear section of the mesosoma, the propodeum, is actually the first abdominal segment, the petiole is the second segment and the postpetiole, when present, the third segment.” Is there nothing on television?
According to Hopi mythology, the Ant People, or Anu Sinom, are believed to be an ancient and advanced civilization that once coexisted with the Hopi tribe during a time of troubles in the First World. These troubles were possibly volcanic. The Ant People were part human and part ant. They took the Hopi humans underground. The Ant People taught humans how to live safely on Earth, releasing them when danger was over. The Ant People however were destroyed by the catastrophe. In Native American culture, ants represent diligence and patience, especially since they helped humans during ancient disasters.
There are also stories of Egyptian Ant People with elongated skulls and spindly arms and legs said to be descended from aliens. I had a friend who believed this. All is a confusing mixture.
There seem to be infinite ways to deter ants. The list: white vinegar, salt, cinnamon, peppermint, dish soap etc. There are also some containing sugar, but I won’t put those in because of kids. It is not a good idea to squish ants. Apparently this ignites sexual passion for other ants who then flock to the existing ones.
Generally, seeing a black ant is believed to be a good omen. In that case, seeing 100s… Might cheer you up, or not.
