pesky ants!

[Lunatic913]

i was awaken this morning by a thump sound...my cham had fell from his cage and then i look and i see a bunch of black ants on the base of the cage eating away at the dead cricket. how do u guys keep the ants away? do u put AJAX around the cage so they dont cross? any help would be appreciated. thnk u

 

[Jerm]

It the cage has legs, put each leg into a bowl of water to make a moat. If it doesn't, find a way to elevate the cage on something that you can put into a tray of water. A "moat" type setup seems to work the best, I try not to use chemicals around the cage for safety reasons. Is your chameleon OK? It isn't a good sign if they fall.

 

[Lunatic913]

well i noticed that he fell not because of the ants but because of a soft branch...i saw the branch that was shaking and it was fairly weak...he did not fall high at all. so yes hes doin fine. i put a lil ajax around the cage so the ants wont cross. hopefully that helps. will regular black ants harm my cham?

 

[Will Hayward]

Here is some info on Ajax Cleanser for you to decide if it really is OK to use...

 

[Jerm]

That's good about your chameleon. I don't know if the black ants there are dangerous. I don't see a lot of black ants here in Florida, but the fire ants are definately one to watch out for.

 

[Jordan]

I would just suggested trying to keep it cleaner. A moat idea like Jerm spoke of is a good way to isolate the crickets while in the keeper. He posted this before and I started using it. I still have been see ants in the kitchen from time to time none have come near my keepers though. Ants only come around if their is something for them to eat. The release a pheromone from their backside and the other ants follow this. There are a number of ways to try to cover this pheromone but nothing that would be safe in close proximity to your chameleons cage or really even you over a period of time. All of these ant treatments diminish over time and make them even less appealing when the ants still come back. If there is nothing to eat they will not come around. They are really incredible insects and there is no good way to stop them, just try to isolate them.

 

[kinyonga]

I would worry about using anything that could harm my chameleon to kill any insect around my chameleon's cage....Ajax included.

Why not select some of the harmless ideas from this website?
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980528a.cfm

 

[LunaC]

Altough Lunatic didn't specifically state his cham was inside or out, I wouldn't use anything toxic around my cages, whether in or outside. I live in the south, surrounded by a couple hundred acres of woods, so fire ants are real pain in the arse problem. I use Vasoline on my hummingbird feeders; it works perfectly against the invasive ants. I sprinkle boric acid powder along a couple of outside window sills where I've seen the blasted ants marching (but then don't open those windows of course).
I sprinkle baby powder into the metal frames those windows slide down into. I've never had a problem with red/fire ants in the house, but the teeny tiny black ants do somehow get into a first floor bathroom only, usually just around the water sources when it's dry outside. I've also heard grits are a good ant killer, though I haven't tried it.

 

[Sean]

Chameleons near chemicals = death Chameleons over water = life

 

[Jordan]

Believe me I work in the food industry. You would be suprised what becomes airborne and how it can effect you. Most people think of say something like salmonella as being in the chicken they eat. You can leave a broken egg shell in a cooler which contains a different type of salmonella and it can contaiment multiple things through the closed air circulation. The bad part is it my not be something you would cook enough to minimize it the risk.

That link Will provided had very good information. No resteraunt in my area will use Ajax (or similar cleansers) because of the health risk (and residue). Not to mention that your chameleon probably weights a hundred to two hundred times less then you. Inhalation of that could cause drastic complications to it health at a very quickly.

 

[ClmbrJ]

please do not use ajax, if you have, clean it with a sponge or wet rag (unless you have a heppa filter vacume(one that actually works -if you can smell it it doesn't))

As far as the ants go, trust me the live in yemen and madacascar. Unless they are fire ants (which are territorial) then just do your best to issolate them. A mote is a great idea, as is vasaline.

Or you could just trust in mother nature. I have those little black ants in my viv, so long as jet isn't injurred, they wont bother him. Frankly I can go a little longer between cleanings if I don't fight them.

Now, if it is hordes we are talking abou that is a totaly different story.

 

[Lunatic913]

yea my chams cage is inside....dont worry about the ajax guys...i cleaned it up after the first response on its toxicity. i didnt have a problem with the ants today..it looked like they were going after a cricket that had died and was on the bottom of the cage..so im taking the dead ones out as soon as i see them. i just received a new cage from bluebeast reptiles and man o man are they easy to clean!...i definately recommend this cage!. thnks for all the tips. keep them coming. much appreciated.