The ants are responding to "rainy season" most likely - they are always around but are most active, and thus most visible, just before rains. We know when it is going to rain because our local ants start dashing all over the place.
Poisons can be problematic, because most of them continue along the food chain, thus killing the ants' natural predators too. The predators (birds, lizards, frogs, assassin bugs, spiders, wasps, etc.) take a little while to start increasing in numbers (either by migrating towards the food source - or by increased reproduction) to control the ant numbers. But they do, and they will - if you let them.
Which kind of red ants are they? are they the biting and rather aggressive red (red-orangeyish) ants (these don't usually come into the house so much) or the paler orange sugar ant types? Remove any possible sources of food - place in tupperwares, etc. and if you need to use some things like talcum powder to reduce their coming into your house.
By all means ignore my request not to use poisons - but I stopped using poisons (other than a directly applied - not sprayed - herbicide to control kikuyu or other alien invasive plants and trees) many, many years ago and the change has been incredible. Within a week or so of any pest insect starting to become noticeable - the predators start pulling in and within a short while the balance is restored...
