Crying Uncle Over Ants

Last night as I dried yet another load of laundry, I noticed a sporadic clacking sound coming from the dryer, but I assumed it was caused by my son's cargo shorts. Imagine my surprise when I removed the clothes from the dryer and an arsenic ant stake clattered to the floor. (Our laundry area is adjacent to the kitchen, and I'd placed an ant stake near the wash after noticing ants there.) The arsenic gel was all gone, however, assumably having dissolved during the wash cycle. How I failed to notice an ant stake (about four inches long) while loading/unloading the washer and loading the dryer, I can't tell you. But I was squicked out enough at the thought of any possible traces of arsenic goo on our clothes that I ran them through the washer again -- sans ant stake. Yuck!