Ant Traps

Ruanita called me at work today to ask me if I would run to Target this afternoon and pick up some ant traps and a bottle of Raid. We have noticed an extraordinarily large number of ants in our house lately. This morning while I was safely away at work, Ruanita opened the kitchen trash can lid to discover an entire colony of ants crawling around in the trash. I am glad it was her and not me that made that discovery. I am not a fan of insects in general....swift little fast-moving ants in particular. Anything that can carry ten times its own body weight and can move as quickly as a ant can only be evil. Right? Opening a trash can lid to discover ants running all over the place sounds like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie to me. I would have had nightmares for weeks. And I am sure my scream would have been heard for miles around.

So when I got off work today, I dutifully picked Lucas up from his first day of summer school and explained to the kids that we were going to run to Target to pick up some ant traps. I then had to explain what ant traps are and exactly how they work to my inquisitive crew....to the best of my ability. When you think about it, ant traps are pretty gruesome and I could tell by the look on the kids' faces that perhaps I should have told them that the ants simply fall asleep peacefully and then are whisked away to heaven to frolic in God's kitchen trash can to their tiny hearts' content. Perhaps if I explained it that way, I could have avoided the next question I was asked. When I finished explaining exactly how we were going to kill the ants infesting our house, I heard a voice from the back of the minivan say, "Momma?" I looked in the mirror to find Lucas staring at the back of my head with a look of complete and utter disappointment.

"Yes Lucas?"

"Momma, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, honey."

"Which of these do you think would be the greener way to handle our ant situation? Using bad chemicals to kill all of the ants....or being gentle with them and taking care of them since they are part of nature?"

Seriously?? My son asked me that question?? I have to admit that he rendered me pretty much speechless for a few minutes. I consider myself moderately "green." I recycle. I try to buy organic when I can afford it. I turn off the water when I brush my teeth. I turn off the lights when I leave a room. I try. And I try to teach my kids to respect the Earth and all of the creatures in it. But...ants? When it comes to ants crawling across my living room floor, I admit that I have no qualms whatsoever about crushing them and flushing them down the toilet. Does that make me a heartless person? Does that me an anti-environmentalist? Perhaps in Lucas' eyes. However, I consider myself an advocate for ants everywhere. Perhaps....just maybe...I will actually be saving millions of ants by killing a few. Perhaps those few ants who sacrifice their lives by entering my home will stand as a lesson to the millions of ants living in my yard. We can live in peace. We can coexist in a state of harmony. Just don't step foot in my house.......capeesh?