Oh - I feel so bad for you. I live in FL and that amount of bugs and especially biting ants are completely unacceptable. I don't think anyone minds killing a spider here or there.
As for the kids - I hope they are better. We were once stuck on an isolated island in the carribean with no way to the mainland with a feverish (no thermometer on the island), throwing up two year old. It was the scariest night of my life. I can totally sympathize.
I would give it another shot - according to the laws of nature it would have to be better!