Ants!

For the second season in a row, a whole colony of ants has appeared. I first noticed a few scouts in the kitchen, and now I've got a half dozen parading along the back of the counter at any given time.

Once again, the source is likely the giant ant hill in the middle of the back yard, about 18" in diameter. We killed it last year with a shaker can of anthill-specific chemicals and a good drowning. But now it's back.

How are the ants making it to the house? Do they have an intricate subterranean interstate system spanning the 20 feet from the anthill onramp to my kitchen? (Don't answer that.) If so, does destroying the anthill leave those tunnels intact? Or are they quick to rebuild, with thousands - or millions - of workers at their disposal?

A coworker recommended gasoline and a blowtorch to take out the hill once and for all. But I think I'll stick with my non-inferno-causing chemicals for now.

Inside, I completely scrubbed the inside of the affected cabinets, housing the caramelized Coke-encrusted recycling bin and laid fresh ant traps (specifically for "little black ants") throughout the cabinets and underneath the fridge. I also put one on the counter where I keep seeing them - and watched in amazement as five ants did about-faces to trek towards their deaths. I also noticed a tiny gap in the caulk around the window above the sink that seems to serve as their portal. I'll be tackling that this weekend.

But for now... I'm going to go kill more ants along the Little Black Ant Death March trail.