We Have Guests Coming...

The weather here in mid-Missouri has been extremely mild all winter and we now have summer
-like temperatures instead of spring temperatures.  That means one thing:  ANTS.  I've already seen a couple near the kitchen garbage can.


We live in a wooden structure with trees all over the neighborhood.  Ants are a common issue many Americans deal with every spring and summer.  They are like the rest of us.  They like to eat good food, too.


So today I sent an email message to our homestay guests...and to my husband....asking that we all be extra careful in the kitchen.  Here's what I sent:


We have guests coming....like they do every spring and summer:  ants.

With the warm weather, I've already seen a couple in the kitchen, so we all need to take steps to keep the number of ants hanging out in the kitchen to a minimum.

Please:  

1.  Rinse all dishes, glasses, cups, pots, pans - everything.   If you can't put items in the dish washing machine, it's extra important that sauces and items of food be rinsed off when you leave them in the sink for the next load of dishes to be done.

2.  Wipe up around the stove after cooking.

3.  Wipe up kitchen counter space.  Ants will find every grain of sugar, every drop of sauce, every smudge of butter, every crumb of cookie/pie/bread/bagel, every grain of rice, every tiny piece of anything edible.

4.  Wipe up the table after eating there.

5.  If you bring dishes/glasses to your room (other than for water), please take them to the kitchen when done.  Don't let food garbage or dirty dishes/cups, etc. stay in your room.  You'll have ants and other bug guests visiting before you know it, and it's hard to get rid of them.

I will put out ant bait and use spray as needed.

  We will see a few ants often, but we can all take steps to clean up more thoroughly to avoid a total invasion.

In advance....thanks for the extra help in the kitchen.