Yep, they hate anything with a strong smell, because it interrupts their pheromone trails. So if they're forming a line to something, just wipe over it, even with warm soapy water - it removes that scent, and they can't find their way back, at least not instantly. Follow it as fas along as you can. Also, if you find their "target," move that as well, like our sugar bowl, I only have to move it a few centimetres and it really stuffs them up.

They always come inside when it's about to rain - there's not heaps you can do to prevent it, you just have to defend.