Ants, ants, ants— do you crush the ants when they crawl over you or show mercy?

@kalav56 (11464)
India
January 11, 2013 6:03am CST
I know they are helpless creatures; they are only doing their work when they keep queuing in corners of rooms and go by single files. I do not touch them when they just mind their business; but when they sit on me and inject me I do the dirty work of crushing them. I know some people who would not do it and leave them mercifully. I wish I were like that but my irritation with these creatures gets the better of me.
5 people like this
41 responses
@SViswan (12051)
• India
12 Jan 13
If I find them in the house, I either brush them away or remove the article that is attracting them. If it is too much of a problem, I will use something to get rid of the ants. BUT if one decides to bite me or crawl over me, they will definitely get crushed. My policy - You leave me alone, I'll leave you alone.
1 person likes this
@SViswan (12051)
• India
20 Jan 13
It's been a while since I visited Mylot. All are fine. I am working in Kerala now. The boys are here with me. Hubby still at Bangalore...he now has a travelling job. I'm not sure how I can post videos here. Are you talking about the tv show performance? It was in 2009. Or are you talking about his music...there are many other videos on my page. How is the family? Is the little one keeping you busy? :-)
@SViswan (12051)
• India
21 Jan 13
Sorry aunty :-( I do not have the video on my laptop here. We have it on our desktop back at home.
1 person likes this
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
18 Jan 13
Good policy! They do not leave us alone and then arises the problem.It si sucha long time since I saw you in mylot SV.How are you and all at home? I was keen on watching the youtube video of your son's performance but somehow it just could not get loaded and I couldn't.Please post the link here if possible.
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
17 Jan 13
I don't have any intention to kill them but what to do?? I need to protect my food. I always feel guilty but no choice. They are so many even the foods are covered they are still there. I am sorry for the ants but still need to kill them.
1 person likes this
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
17 Jan 13
Exactly.You have echoed my sentiments.If they are outside, it is alright but they not only come on to our food they bite us also .Self-protection supersedes our compassion to ants.What to do?
@hora_fugit (5862)
• India
11 Jan 13
If you are talking about red ants, I don't like them a bit! Once they are near you there only aim seems to bite you. I have no intention of crushing them - it doesn't help in reducing the acidic effect - but the way I remove them they are least likely to survive. Black ones too are irritating when they run swiftly on your arms etc not even easy to catch them... But for both kind, if they mind themselves in a formation on wall I ignore them. And if they are on bed or near me I just teleport them to a faraway place also put an LOC they better not cross.
1 person likes this
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
27 Mar 13
Very kind and wise. Thanks for the participation.
• Pamplona, Spain
11 Jan 13
Hiya kalav, If you are getting them like that then do away with them they are meant to be outside. Here in the countryside there are loads of them and I try to avoid stepping on their nests so they won´t crawl up you but if they do I brush them all off as quick as I can they are awful and I have never liked them but they are there. However they were never meant to be in houses I agree so you get your chalk and just hope it works. It can be a nightmare to get rid of them I know.xxx
1 person likes this
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
28 Mar 13
They are indeed a real nuisance.Now I am using this chalk to keep them at bay.
• Marikina, Philippines
11 Jan 13
I hate killing lives of little creatures, but what can I do? They bite and its painful too. They are dirty and its hard to show mercy to them.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
27 Mar 13
Exactly ! Waht can we do except crush the poor little things when they bite us stingingly!
• India
11 Jan 13
Hi kala, i am not interested in killing this little creature, so i will forgive them and forget about their mistake. It is really a great unfair to kill them for our little pain, with our crushing activity they will get a lot of pain and lost their life. We don't have the ability to tolerate the little pain, how can the little creature will tolerate the huge pain and lost its life due to our cruel activity? my suggestion to you is avoid your habit and don't kill them for your little pain
1 person likes this
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
11 Jan 13
I will try Vidya but it is a real hassle safeguarding each and every container .They are seen all over the place and I have to usea pest control; there is a two year old at home and if you read my response to allknowing you would see what he does.
@bellis716 (4799)
• United States
13 Jan 13
In my opinion, ants and all other creepy, crawly, or flying insects belong outside, not in my house. Any that that make their way inside will be annihilated in some manner. The same goes for those who want to eat the vegetables that I planted for our table. Guess I'm just selfish when it comes to our living quarters and vegetable garden. .
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
17 Jan 13
Not only you, many of us would do it. Thanks a lot for the participation and sorry for the late comment.
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Jan 13
I was living in a small one bedroom apartment about three years ago and it had alot of ants in the bathroom. I was told that if you take cinnamon and shake it where they are comming in you won't have them anymore. It worked! It was a bit of a messy clean up but it did work.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
27 Mar 13
I shall definitely try cinnamon ; I have this at home straightaway and just need to powder it.T Thanks for the tip.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
27 Mar 13
Ya, first observe where they are coming in and sprinkle it there.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (98826)
• India
11 Jan 13
We used to have ample ants each summer, but from the last year, the ant population out here has suddenly disappeared. I am told that if there is a red ant colony or column in your house, chances are you have some enemies and they are plotting against you and that you are likely to come to harm. I am not very merciful when I see red ants because they do inject that acid into us, but I am fine with black ants.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
11 Jan 13
We call black ants 'Ganesh Ants' because they are totally harmless. I have never heard of this belief.Earlier, when I was down south I had a similar problem after some re modelling in our house. Here it is a similar problem.
@vandana7 (98826)
• India
11 Jan 13
Turmeric is a good thing to stop them...pest control guys inject something in the walls every five years ..anti termite becomes anti ants as well..though ants are good.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
11 Jan 13
It is not just ants but every kind of pests are meant to be eradicated That's how it is ordained. Neither you nor anyone else who does that is a wrong doer. Our life is a mixture of activities some of which are imposed on us kala. There is nothing we can do about them . Whenever I see ants in my house I spray a powder called Notix and in minutes they vanish.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
11 Jan 13
How right you are! We shifted to a new house recently and though it is absolutely new there are ants all over in every plug point and these have made and are slowly making their way in every corner of all the rooms.There is a little baby at home and the poor thing gets bitten and he just rubs himself saying sweetly "did a mosquito bite you?". And of course I keep all the containers in the kitchen sealed with plastic covers; it is so laborious getting rid of them in grocery items. I am not able to spray any powder because there is this little one at home.I intend using Lakshman Rekha chalk soon and get rid of these pests.
@allknowing (130066)
• India
11 Jan 13
I have been using Notix for years now and it is the safest powder that can be used indoors even on the kitchen platform. It is available with any Chemist.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
11 Jan 13
I shall definitely try this at least in places which are out of reach for the little one.
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
11 Jan 13
Dear Kalav I dont prefer anyone bother me when I am sleeping. So if the ants strike at that time... they are poor souls... and I have no time to think what I am doing, I simply will crush them. For other times, it depends on the time, the mood and... the place where they injected But yes, I am more peaceful with the ones in my house today as the ones here have come to realize that I dont like being disturbed in my sleep, and i dont care if they make a swimming pool of the water purifier even in this winter. They have also realized that it is safer for them to stay away from my computer.
1 person likes this
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
11 Jan 13
Strange creatures to choose water purifier in this winter! And good they have developed an understanding of your 'pet' hates and likes.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
12 Jan 13
I don't mind those ants when they make their mounds outside of the house. But when they gather inside our bedroom, under the linoleum , i would spray them with Baygon and later would sweep them in a dustpan and throw them outside. I have to do that, lest they crawl all over in the bedroom.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (137215)
• Philippines
11 Jan 13
Ants can never step their feet in our doorway.lol. My mom will be freak out and ask someone to get rid off these insects. Some of the people in my country, it is a bad luck to have these insects inside the house.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
11 Jan 13
Oh dear! A superstition associated with these innocent creatures. Our counry also has its share of superstitions and some areas where there is not great education or literacy too, it is worse.
@Sureoi (176)
• Philippines
11 Jan 13
It depends on my mood. Sometimes I crush them really hard when I'm on a bad mood or if they bite me. But I seldom do it because I often feel pity for them especially when I see them getting food and thinking they help each other to survive. Have a nice day and happy mylotting! :)
1 person likes this
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
11 Jan 13
True.It is indeed an endearing sight to see one small ant carrying a morsel diligently and walking towards its destination.
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
13 Jan 13
Hello kalva. I don't see ants as helpless creature. I see them as vicious little creatures especially when they bite and sting me. They are industrious and have their job to do but not in my house or on me. They have all that room out side to do what they have to do. I keep a corn cob in my kitchen and any other room they might want to move into to keep them out of the house.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
18 Jan 13
You are very clear and practical in your views. Ants are industrious tiny creatures. Unfortunately they also bite.Bad luck for them!
@Buchi_bulla (8298)
• India
27 Mar 13
It is like killing rats and cockroaches. Though we know about Ahimsa dharmam not to hurt other lives, still we kill them. I too keep to myself when they are not harming me. But any bite from them, I will just crush them.
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
13 Jan 13
I don't like ants in the house and if they are inside I kill them, find their way in and stop it up so they won't come back. If they are fire ants I'll find and kill the mound as well, because I'm allergic to fire ants.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
18 Jan 13
Fire ants are terrible indeed! Recently I got bitten by some and the back of my hand[knuckles] still have the mark.
1 person likes this
@jaiho2009 (39142)
• Philippines
11 Jan 13
Oh well I am guilty of this one too. Once I feel the sting- I can't control my fingers and crushed the poor thing. But if they are outside marching- I do not mind them at all.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
27 Mar 13
What to do jaiho! ant bite is not at all pleasant. We cannot help crushing them when we feel their irritating bite.
@vernaC (1491)
• Romania
11 Jan 13
Only the ants that are biting me I would crash them , but for ants that are passing by, I would just swipe them out my house. Just another rule I learned and basically living on it; do not do unto others if you don't want others do it to you, the golden rule of course.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
11 Jan 13
It is true.As I had mentioned if they are just going in a line not affecting me in any way then I won't touch them. But at home, normally it does not happen.They are hungry and as we know are diligent gatherers . They go in search of little graisn of rice and wheat and if we have kept a sugar container carelessly closed we have had it.
• Philippines
11 Jan 13
if they intrude into my dwellings then i exterminate them, i am never worried about them getting extinct anyway, they are good survivors and can adopt to almost any environment. it they got into my stuff i kill them. but if ever i go to some place, like a forest and i found ants, i always give way, it will be my fault if i intrude into their habitat and then i kill them, i think it is not fair.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
11 Jan 13
Great and very fair response.What right do we have to crush them if we are going to intrude into their rightful dwelling place?