Ants in Houses

په کورونو کې مېږیان لیکواله: اوستا فضلي

 Written by: Awesta Fazli

 There are more than 12000 species of ants in the world.

 Some of them are harmful and cause some dangerous

diseases. The biting of one type of ant could cause the death of the person. But not all ants are poisonous. These ants are found in homes, kitchens, and elsewhere.

Sometimes these ants could create problems. AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some people about the problems created by ants.

Zarlasht, a resident of Kabul city says, “My brother’s wife was sick and a homeopathic doctor told us that mixture of nigella seeds and pure honey is useful for 180 different diseases. One of my colleagues brought the honey from Paktia province and we prepared the mentioned mixture and gave it to my brother’s wife. Later, my brother called and asked me that why I have given the honey to his wife which had ants in it and it caused vomiting.”

Jamshid, a resident of Baghlan province says, “I have a shop and I keep some items in the basement of my shop. Once, carpenter ants had found a way to sugar sacks. I paid to some mercenaries and they brought out the sacks to the sun.”

What do some people think about the causes of ants in houses?

Muhammad Nasir, a resident of Kabul city says, “Ants need foods and their food is finding more in houses, therefore ants come to houses, especially into the kitchens.”

Zarlasht, a resident of Kabul city says, “Most people think that ants are harmless and when a few ants get into a house, the owner of the house does not care about them and they increase gradually, and the owners of the house  do not know how to prevent them.”

How do some people prevent ants in houses and shops?

Jamshid says, “When I saw so many ants in my shop’s basement, I was not able to find any solution to get rid of them. One of my friends suggested using insecticide but it was harmful to health. One day, another friend suggested putting cucumber peels in front of the ants’ house. I have not seen any ant afterward.”

Safiullah, a resident of Kabul says, “We mixed half of a tablespoonful cinnamon with a glass of water and spread them in front of the ants’ house and they disappeared.”

A gardener, Muhammad Sadiq says, “I mixed a bottle of vinegar with water and I spread it the leaves of the trees and ants went away.”