Having pests in the house is somewhat a norm here: mosquitos, midges,  all sorts of roaches, ants and flies find their way into households despite the height of the buildings.

This morning I got back home to find ants having a party on and around my daughter’s breakfast plate where she smudged some jam. There must have been at least 100 of them!  No kidding. I got so disgusted – threw the plate into the sink and washed all the ants off the counter. I did notice that they found their way from our laundry balcony that is next to kitchen. The first trespassers were in the kitchen yesterday. At that time I used a mix of water and tea tree oil. However, it is a temporary fix. So I needed something more permanent or at least long term.

After talking to some friends and searching the Web, I decided to try the following: sprinkle cinnamon at the entrance of the balcony and draw lines with chalk.

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I also noticed there was a crack in the corner on the floor where the ants seemed to come from as well. So I poured some cinnamon there.

Two hours later,  still no sign of new ants making their way here. But I have to explain to my cleaning lady tomorrow not to wash the cinnamon off  or if she does – to pour some more in there.

I’ll be back to report how effective it is in about a month. My kitchen smells divine,  though!