Over the weekend I was home (of course…where would I go?) and noticed what looked like a little pile of dirt in my tile entryway. Since I have dogs, I rolled my eyes and swept it up without giving it another thought. I noticed it again in the same place the next day. While my dogs are creatures of habit, I doubt they would have created the same perfect, little pyramid of dirt in the same exact spot.
I got down on my hands and knees to look closer and it really looked more like very fine coffee grounds. I swept it up again but a had the beginnings of alarm bells ringing in the back of my mind. I got online and everything I could find talked about termites. What the heck! I live in a berm house on a slab! So, even though it was Sunday, I left a message with my go-to pest inspector hoping he might call me back right away but not really expecting him to. I’d just have to stew about it overnight, I guess. (And I did.)
I cleaned up another little mound and managed to keep some of it in a bag to show him. But, as I was on my hands an knees, I saw an ant crawl into the crevice. A glimmer of hope!!! Please be ants… Please be ants… Please be ants. My pest inspector called me first thing Monday and was able to go look late yesterday afternoon. Diagnosis… Ants! A $40 spray job and all is right with my world again. Well, sort of. There’s still this pesky pandemic to work around…
What a strong reminder of how truly vital “essential services” like pest control truly are. If these had been termites at my house, it could have been catastrophic to wait until the stay-at-home order is lifted.