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If you can find Borax, mix it with a little sugar and water in a bottle cap. The sugar attracts the ants, and they carry the Borax back to the nest to kill the colony. It's not immediate, but it will take care of the ones you can't see either.

We usually buy Terro Ant Bait on trips to the US for convenience, but it's basically the same thing. The borax is enough to kill the ants, but it won't hurt my dogs if they happen to get into it.

"Baygon" is the "Kleenex" of bug sprays here.  It's just what they call any type of bug spray. It works very well, but I find the smell overpowering. I've found the water-based Raid works very well without the perfume, and there is an unscented version that works quite well. Ants are ubiquitous here, it is an ongoing battle.  You will move them from one spot to another and there is no rhyme or reason for them to be where they are. In my house, they've decided to use the pipes for the electrical wires as their highway and pop out of electrical plates from time to time. Bathroom and bedroom seem to be their favourite, and there is never any food in either place.  I've also found those silver and blue sachets of the Chinese powder work well, just not around any pets.

Baygon is popular but pretty aggressive, Best when sprayed on (kills cockroaches in minutes) but is not lasting long. I wouldn’t use it up in a kitchen. Although it smells like perfume (why??) avoid any area for half an hour when it’s sprayed.

Locals also use diesel. Try to trace where ants enter the house and plug the holes if possible or put any of the suggested deterrents in that area.

My two cents....don't kill the spiders. They will not hurt you, or even come near you, and will control many of the bugs in your home. We never see cockroaches in our house. They may not be effective against ants, but are nonetheless effective with other undesirables.

100% agree re: spiders!

And, weird about the electrical wiring, but I found the same thing here, the ants were getting onto the desk by climbing up the laptop charging cord. If I missed any sandwich crumbs when cleaning up after lunch, they never even found them, they just loved that cord.

@wondering9

I was a certifiable arachnophobe when we moved here 5+ years ago! They can still startle me, especially the speedy Huntsman spiders, but my appreciation for them has grown and converted me into an arachnophile! I've even said that if I decide to get another tattoo, it will be a Huntsman! Probably a mama with an egg sac! 😀