Here are some photos of the ants ‘tightrope walking’ along the clothes line. I’m quite impressed that they can walk upside down and I’m trying to suppress a grudging respect for their tenacity and teamwork. Scrolling down the page of magnified pictures of ants on the Landcare Research page has pretty much done that for me. And the National Geographic Kids ‘10 cool facts about ants‘ informed me that the biggest ant colony ever discovered was 3,700 miles wide! It was in Argentina, but now I’m imagining what might be growing under my roof – and floor. Blitz day tomorrow.

I came across this word for tightrope walkers the other day. I’d forgotten about it until I discovered ants in washing hanging on the line. How the heck…? Then I looked closely and could see lines of ants walking back and forth along the clothes line from where it was attached by a hook to the house. The ants were heading in, and out, from under the eaves. I was tempted to title this post “Ants in your pants”.

The term ‘funambulist’ seems appropriate because I’m beginning to get the sense that ants are having fun with me, driving me crazy. The builder who came to scope out the work in the bathroom says they are everywhere. Even in his dog’s food bowl.

I have quite an arsenal of anti-ant weaponry. The tube of gel proved useful today to put in one or two places along the clothes line. The aim is that the ants carry it back to the nest and, bingo, no more ants – well, eventually anyway.