Plant Protection Officer and Government insect specialist Claire Jessey said the best protection against ant infestation in your home is to be scrupulously clean.

She said all rooms need to be completely free of crumbs and sugary drinks.

Even then, you'll still have a trail of ants but she said they would pass through. "They won't stay but they won't call the rest of their friends to join them either," she said. "All countertops need to be wiped down with a good cleaning product so that the ants have the absolute minimum opportunity to find an opening."

Additionally Mrs. Jessey recommended gel baits. Here the ant eats some of the gel and takes it back to the nest causing others ants to eat it as well. She said this system works very well but admitted it may take a few days for results.

Walter Saul, of Bermuda Pest Control, said it's easy to make ant bait by mixing boric acid with a bit of peanut butter, bacon fat or jelly. But he said it can sometimes takes weeks to kill off the colony.

Spraying pesticides can work well but Mrs. Jessey says it should only be done outdoors or in isolated indoor locales.

"I never recommend people spray where they will be handling food or eating," she said. "Track them. Go outside and spray near where they seem to be entering."

Mr. Saul said pruning trees and shrubs can often solve the problem and is frequently overlooked.

"Ants build their nests in the root ball of plants. When it's hot and dry they'll come up the roots climb up the trunk and move out onto the branches. In many cases people have tree branches touching their window, so the ants just come easily through," he said.

Hardware stores and animal and garden shops also stock a variety of products that residents can try themselves.

"They have some non toxic pesticides that work very nicely," said Mrs. Jessey.

But when all else fails, the Island's exterminators said they can handle the problem. Prices vary with the size of the property and the extent of infestation, but a one-time service to rid your home of ants would cost upwards of $200 with most local providers.