Every year come springtime out come the ants straight into my kitchen. Because I have a dog I can't put anything too toxic down, so I've been hoovering them up a couple of times a day 
Does anyone know of an effective way to stop these little @#$% pests?
Isis
Pyretheum. Comes in powder or spray. Vets' offices should have it. Harmless to animals.
I've heard boric acid works but I've never tried it.
A friend swears by Windex. It has the added advantage of cleaning whatever you spray. She says it wipes out their trails.
Moving house seems the only answer.
They live underground and however many you kill there are more.
I had a horror movie story last year when they all climbed up the wall and started to fly around my kitchen and I have seen a flying one just now so they are back.
We have them at my work and have expensive exterminators trying their best against them but every year they are back.
I don't think they are dangerous like flies for instance.
If you are getting the flying ones indoors then I wonder if the nest has an outlet directly into your house. Behind a kitchen unit perhaps? If so you need to find it and block it after you put some powerful poison down the hole.
Thanks Teb, Furby & Pani for your suggestions. I will definitely ask my vet about the Pyretheum. The little "fellows" are coming in somewhere by the back door and making their way across the kitchen floor. The floor is wooden so I'll need to check first that the Windex doesn't make it slippery. I haven't seen any flying ones yet!
Isis
A good tip from Patience:
As spring and summer is approaching, you may want to know that ants don't appear to be able to eat their way through blu-tak. So once you've found where they are getting in, seal the hole with blu-tak.
I've had one or two already this year, so thanks for the tip!
That does seem to work as I blocked up the skirting board where it joined the wall with blue tac on the wall they flew up and didn't get as many the next year.
But I have now found a wet hole in my skirting board so they were probably trying to spit their way out. I have a damp proof course and the wall is not otherwise damp so I don't think the wet hole is caused by rising damp.
Maybe they have a water pistol.
A bit of bleach is a very quick and effective deterrent for ants - they hate the smell. If you put some on a couple of tissues inside the door (or outside if you know where they're coming in) I'm sure it would work and I doubt if your dog would go near it after the initial sniff.
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