Holy Ants!

Umm, Houston? We have a problem.

Of anternomical proportions.

I don't think I've mentioned this here before, but we have a bit of an ant problem. I'm a very clean person & pick up any food or crumbs left out, but we don't have screens on the windows and leave the back door open 24/7, so creatures get in.

At first it was just the teeny brown ants, so small you'd miss them if you were in a hurry to grab the Nutella. Mid-summer we found some larger beasts - too disgusting to get into here but they rhyme with mock-broach - so we sprayed a full can of beast killer in all the cabinets. That killed the pests but, five months later, I still smell the chemicals every time I open the cupboard doors. And a few strays have found their way home.

Which brings us to my current problem. Ibis keeps telling me the little ants don't hurt anything and I should stop worrying about them. (yeah, right.) Well, now we have the next step in the evolutionary chain - black ants. The ones you most often see on a picnic at the park.

I don't see them carrying any food but they're taking over the kitchen. At least once a day I go on a rampage and kill all that I see, but they keep coming back. I wiped white vinegar over all the surfaces thinking the smell would throw them off, but the effects only lasted about a day. I've impressed myself with how un-squeamish I've become, squashing ants with my bare fingers like it's nobody's business, but my fingers are getting calloused!

Oh, and they keep finding their way into the water bottle I use on runs, so there's no telling how many I've eaten. "A source of protein!" Ibis claims, but I'd rather stick with chicken or fish.

Does anyone have suggestions for a non-toxic way to rid my house of these things? They're concentrated in the parts of the kitchen with food - duh - but I keep finding them in the bathroom too.

Thoughts?