Gluten Free A-Z : June 2026

What's in My Kitchen This June ? Ants!

ai drawing from chat

We returned to our Pennsylvania home about two weeks ago, and before we had even unpacked a single box, I spotted a few ants on the windowsill and kitchen counter. I was surprised because there wasn't any food in the house.

Within a few days, those few scouts turned into an invasion. Suddenly, there were armies of ants marching across my countertops and parading along the windowsills.

My first line of defense was cinnamon.

I had heard that ants won't cross a line of cinnamon. I tries it and it seemed to work—at least temporarily. But eventually, the ants simply changed course and found a different route into the kitchen.

Next, we tried ant traps. They significantly reduced the number of ants, but they didn't eliminate the problem. We still have plenty of unwanted visitors daily.

I've transferred food into sealed jars and have become meticulous about wiping up every crumb and drop. Yet the ants remain.

What really surprised me was finding them swarming a wooden spoon that had no food residue on it. One morning, the spoon was literally covered with ants.

At this point, it's becoming frustrating to come downstairs each morning and find that I'm sharing my kitchen with them. They're not even staying near food sources anymore—I'm finding ants in drawers and other non-food areas as well.

If this keeps up, I may have to admit that the ants think they own the kitchen. No, I don't want to resort to pesticides/chemicals -at least not yet. Any ideas other than calling an exterminator?

I do have a few other things to share IMK this month:

Frozen peas and bok choy soup - a quick easy green soup