We've all been there. You walk into the kitchen and a parade of ants is having a field day on your countertop. What do we do? Grab a can of ant spray and give them a blast or two or three. It's all-out war, and when it's over, we wind up throwing our food away and cleaning up that toxic, smelly mess. There are new weapons in the war against ants. Try using soapy water in a spray bottle. Ants hate it. Set your pet's dish in a pie pan of soapy water. Instead of poisonous powders and toxic sprays, try using plain old spice-rack chili powder. Inside or out, it's safe, inexpensive, non-toxic and ants avoid it like the plague. Then seal any cracks and openings with caulk to cut off points of entry. You can wage a safe war on insects with covered foods in tight containers and non-toxic weapons that get them -- not you. And that's the On The House tip for today.