Help - ants!!!

[chams1]

Hey all:

So, I was going about my normal reptile chores before scooting off to work this morning and noticed a gazillion ants!! I have seen a couple here and there for the past month, but nothing to get worried about because it is that time of year and I don't think I've gone through any spring/summer without seeing a couple. However, I found them in droves in one particular room where our rudis, her new babies, 2 female panthers and a few of our geckos (on the other side of the room) are housed and there were a million of them. I have not yet seen them (yet) in our main cham room which is right next door nor have I (surprisingly) discovered them downstairs where the rest of the chams and argus monitor are kept. They are the little annoying tiny black ants.

How do I get rid of them?? Let me rephrase that: how do I get rid of them WITHOUT possibly chemically hurting the reptiles?? I know how to kill them but how do I do it without some ants possibly digesting some of the chemicals (i.e. ant traps) and finding their way into a cage or two and getting eaten by a cham (or gecko)?? My husband has already put an "ant/insect barrier" around the house (i.e. ant/insect killer) twice this spring which he has done every year to prevent the occasional annoyance. I've never had an issue with ants in the house before so ANY ideas are welcome and appeciated. I need to get this resolved ASAP.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

Try Bounce Fabric Softener sheets indoors. Just stick them anywhere ants might be getting in, or trailing.

 

[blackbetty]

Thats the prob I have too! I cant use spray because Most are ant/roach and I have roaches! LOL... they keep getting into my dog food and Im not sure how.. and the pygmy cage.. our windows must be loose or something. Will the pygmys eat em?

 

[panthercrazy]

I had that problem last year, but found that they were attracted to the silk chow! Once I changed over the housing for silks, not so open, they went away - well after having to get them gone, they didn't come back.

 

[chams1]

Try Bounce Fabric Softener sheets indoors. Just stick them anywhere ants might be getting in, or trailing.

Thanks for the suggestion - like I said, I'm up for anything right now b/c I just want them g-o-n-e!!

Just out of curiousity, do you know what it is about the dryer sheets that will make them go away/stop them from coming in? Does it kill the ants or just make them "turn around and go back where they came from"??

My problem is, I don't have the foggiest idea where they're coming from. And it seems that they are all congregating in the one room which is the most unlikely of places I would have thought I would find them all.

 

[dirrtybirdy]

I had this problem in my pygmy tank a 2 weeks ago. I found out that they were only there for the dead crickets. Call me crazy but i let them do their thing for a day or two and most went away. after i got concerned that they were trying to move in and finally moved the tank and raided the whole area. I also raided the holes/area they were coming in from. never came back after that

 

[SSimsswiSS]

I believe the word most often used is it repels ants. I use the sheets around my incubators. I had trouble with ants trying to get at my eggs. Since I've put in place, have not seen a single ant.

 

[Malicious]

Whole cloves are a natural ant repelant, just place them around the point of entry.

Superman----Kryptonite

Ants---------Cloves


-Jay

 

[dondeb562]

my friend just told me about baby powder! lol! make a trail around something and they will not cross it. If you can find where they are coming from you may be able to try ant chalk....

 

[chams1]

I believe the word most often used is it repels ants. I use the sheets around my incubators. I had trouble with ants trying to get at my eggs. Since I've put in place, have not seen a single ant.

Thanks! Duh - now that you use the word "repel", it does bring back memories of my dad always having Bounce on hand for the "skeeters". (I grew up around the mountains and my dad taught outdoor survival. You can rub Bounce on yourself and it is a natural mosquito repellant.)

Thanks for all the ideas, guys. I really appreciate the input and I will certainly implement them immediately!

 

[Jakedn]

Once a long time ago when I was much younger, my father had a leopard gecko baby that he hatched himself. The baby was doing fine and we had him in his own cage. And one morning I noticed that he appeared all black, but upon closer examination he was covered in those tiny black ants and they had actually killed him. Hopefully this won't happen to you guys, just try to keep them away from any of your smaller animals.

 

[chams1]

I know. That's why I was calling on all you geniuses to help me get rid of them... Seriously, I want them gone asap so I don't have a potential problem for either my chams or geckos!

 

[Jakedn]

Maybe try and track them all the way back to their home

 

[Lancecham]

Yews, the key is tracking where they are coming from. Once you get the point of entry, it will be easy to try several thing that members have tried.
If you want to kill the ants in the room and don't want to use insecticides, use a weak water and dish soap solution. It will kill the ants that come in direct contact with the spray. The soap/water solution basically suffocates them and will die within 10 seconds of being sprayed with an adequete amount.
This works well, but since their are no poisons in it, it will not deter them from coming back
So if you use it and track down the point of entry and take care of that with some chemicals, your chams should be happy campers.

 

[Syn]

If you can find where they are getting in, you can put some pepper down as well.

Also, pour sugar water over the neighbor's house, that way they go there instead.

 

[chams1]

So if you use it and track down the point of entry and take care of that with some chemicals, your chams should be happy campers.

Or do you mean "happy champers..."? ha ha ha

Yeah, my husband is home today so I already told him to do the Bounce thing in the meantime while he is trying to watch and see where they are getting in and where they are going. It is frustrating being at work and not being able to do it myself! I'll let him know about the soap/water spray, too. And I'll have to stop at the store on the way home and pick up some cloves just in case.

I continue to appreciate the responses to my dilemma!! Thanks!!

 

[chams1]

Also, pour sugar water over the neighbor's house, that way they go there instead.

Syn, I dig the way you think!! lol

 

[dodolah]

Cloves, Bounce softeners sheet, cayenne pepper, even Cinamon powder would repel them.
I would avoid ant chalk because it contains chemical pesticide which you have state you want to avoid.

if you say there are gazillions of them, chances are they have migrated to your house. I have the same problem. They usually get active during summer (extreme heat).
Obviously, they are attracted to the feeders for your chameleons (especially the dead ones since they stink).
So, keep your cages clean. I notice less ants when you clean the cage well.


Try all the option above first.
If it works, then kudos!
Personally, none of it works for me.. The ants keep coming.
Thus, I have one last effort for your consideration much later.

It is to introduce their biological predator inside the chameleon cage.
Again, this method is quite expensive (about 30 - 50 dollars depending where you buy them) and perhaps sounds crazy.
But, it worked very well and safe.

I introduced Steinernema Feltiae on to the soil and the plants. They are nematodes (Yes.. Parasitical worms).
They are, however, will NOT attack you nor your chameleon.
So, any ants that cross the soil and the plants can be guaranteed to be infected.
You buy them per millions. Usually they are sold in a small bag (consist of 4 millions). That small bag is enough to treat your whole backyard.

Feltiae is host specific. And, they attack pests such as gnats, ants, aphids, etc. Usually they clear out about a week. and the worms will keep killing for 2 years before you need to administer again.
And, Feltiae kill the ants in the cruelest way imo (and I LOVE IT! ).. Their stomach gets bloated and the infected ants have enough strength to go back to the queens chamber and the carnage begin there. Soon, the whole colony will get infected by parasites.

 

[chams1]

if you say there are gazillions of them, chances are they have migrated to your house. I have the same problem. They usually get active during summer (extreme heat).
Obviously, they are attracted to the feeders for your chameleons (especially the dead ones since they stink).
So, keep your cages clean. I notice less ants when you clean the cage well.
....
I introduced Steinernema Feltiae on to the soil and the plants. They are nematodes (Yes.. Parasitical worms).
They are, however, will NOT attack you nor your chameleon.

Feltiae is host specific. And, they attack pests such as gnats, ants, aphids, etc. Usually they clear out about a week. and the worms will keep killing for 2 years before you need to administer again.

We are always making sure that there are no dead crickets laying around or inside the cage (we cup feed) and try to clean the cage as much as humanly possible. But wouldn't the ants migrate to where we keep our many bins (all different sizes) of crickets?? That is downstairs and we haven't seen any ants down there. Hhhmmm. I mean they are going to that specific room for one reason, I just need to figure out what that is.

That's good information re the worms - thank you. I had no idea. At the last resort, I will keep this in mind.

 

[dodolah]

We are always making sure that there are no dead crickets laying around or inside the cage (we cup feed) and try to clean the cage as much as humanly possible. But wouldn't the ants migrate to where we keep our many bins (all different sizes) of crickets?? That is downstairs and we haven't seen any ants down there. Hhhmmm. I mean they are going to that specific room for one reason, I just need to figure out what that is.

That's good information re the worms - thank you. I had no idea. At the last resort, I will keep this in mind.

your reptile room probably the most comfortable for them (humidity and temp) on top of that there are source of constant water as well (from the misting).
It only make sense for the ants to migrate close to your reptile room.
Plus, it also have soil available for them to start a new colony.

the creepy things about black ants is their behavior in establishing sub colonies. They do not need to always be living in the main colony. When one colony's inhabitants are considered too much, some of them will migrate to establish sub colony that still remain closely connected to the main one.

I have once found out that some black ants made a sub colony inside my ficus benjamina pot (the one in my chameleon cage).
I need to take it outside and spray the soil with boiling water. Nearly killed the plants. So, right now that Ficus is still outside rehabilitating..

Oh One other thing:
When you decide to try the Feltiae method, make sure you ask the people who sell them if they mix the medium with chemical fertilizer.
Some company actually do that as marketing method.
You do not want to introduce chemical fertilizers into your chameleon cage period.
The one I purchase (I believe it's arbico organic) mixed the worm with clay powder; so, it is safe.

Administering the worm is easy. You just mixed the powder with water. Shake it a bit. and spray it onto the soil. Done.