Ant found in tort table, dangerous?

[John Franzwa]

I recently found an ant in my Russian tortoises table and now I'm worried that they will establish an anthill in there, and they could possibly harm my tort or my baby red foot in a small add on closed off. Please respond it will help a lot. Also the ant got away.

 

[Tom]

Yes. They can kill your tortoises. The ant you saw was a scout. He will be going back to tell the rest of them about the great food and living conditions in your tortoise enclosure.

Indoors, I have had the best luck with Terro ant baits. Let the ants swarm the bait and take it back to the queen and colony. Find where they are getting into the enclosure and put the bait station in their path.

 

[Sara G.]

I'm not sure that one ant will be enough to create an entire colony.
If you're that worried you could always change the substrate entirely.

 

[Rue]

Only a mated queen can start a colony.

 

[John Franzwa]

Yes. They can kill your tortoises. The ant you saw was a scout. He will be going back to tell the rest of them about the great food and living conditions in your tortoise enclosure.

Indoors, I have had the best luck with Terro ant baits. Let the ants swarm the bait and take it back to the queen and colony. Find where they are getting into the enclosure and put the bait station in their path.

Ok should I get a certain brand or anything it was a single tiny one do you think it will alert the others, by the way I live in the top level of the house and I think I may of destroyed it or paralyzed it or something but I think it's still alive

 

[John Franzwa]

I'm not sure that one ant will be enough to create an entire colony.
If you're that worried you could always change the substrate entirely.

Ok thanks

 

[John Franzwa]

Only a mated queen can start a colony.

Ok so I'm safe or...

 

[Sara G.]

Odds are you're safe.

 

[von345]

I found some tiny little ants in my Hermanns out door inclosure. I'm just going to re change the substrate. Better safe then sorry

 

[Gillian M]

I'd suggest changing the substrate immediately: better be safe than sorry.

 

[John Franzwa]

Odds are you're safe.

Thanks

 

[John Franzwa]

I'd suggest changing the substrate immediately: better be safe than sorry.

I may soon

 

[John Franzwa]

I found some tiny little ants in my Hermanns out door inclosure. I'm just going to re change the substrate. Better safe then sorry

Ok

 

[dmmj]

Some dichotomous Earth food grade will kill the ants without harming the tortoise. you do not have to worry about 1 aunt you have to worry about the swarm of ants that come back when they find something they like

 

[John Franzwa]

Some dichotomous Earth food grade will kill the ants without harming the tortoise. you do not have to worry about 1 aunt you have to worry about the swarm of ants that come back when they find something they like

Do u think the swarm will come

 

[Tom]

Ok should I get a certain brand or anything it was a single tiny one do you think it will alert the others, by the way I live in the top level of the house and I think I may of destroyed it or paralyzed it or something but I think it's still alive

It doesn't matter if you killed that one, or 10 more. It doesn't matter if you are on the tenth floor. They know you are there and they are very likely to swarm your enclosure soon. Most likely when you leave the house for a few hours. You will come home to find your enclosure swarmed. If you are lucky, they will swarm the food. If not, they will swarm your tortoise.

Pesticides only kill the ones you see. Blocking the hole they are coming from won't work, because they will continually ring new holes. You need to kill the whole colony that is hidden in the walls or in the ground. They take the bait back to the queen and it kills the whole colony.

Changing the substrate won't do anything. They aren't coming from the substrate.

You are not okay. You need to take action. Seeing that one ant might be the only warning you get of the impending invasion. I found one of my indoor russian enclosures over run last year. No ants in the morning when I put the food in, and by the afternoon the whole enclosure was over run. They particularly liked one particular russian. I managed to save him. For about a week I didn't think he would survive, but he did. Within a month he was totally back to normal. Then I found him dead for no apparent reason three months later. All the any bites must have taken a toll internally.

 

[John Franzwa]

It doesn't matter if you killed that one, or 10 more. It doesn't matter if you are on the tenth floor. They know you are there and they are very likely to swarm your enclosure soon. Most likely when you leave the house for a few hours. You will come home to find your enclosure swarmed. If you are lucky, they will swarm the food. If not, they will swarm your tortoise.

Pesticides only kill the ones you see. Blocking the hole they are coming from won't work, because they will continually ring new holes. You need to kill the whole colony that is hidden in the walls or in the ground. They take the bait back to the queen and it kills the whole colony.

Changing the substrate won't do anything. They aren't coming from the substrate.

You are not okay. You need to take action. Seeing that one ant might be the only warning you get of the impending invasion. I found one of my indoor russian enclosures over run last year. No ants in the morning when I put the food in, and by the afternoon the whole enclosure was over run. They particularly liked one particular russian. I managed to save him. For about a week I didn't think he would survive, but he did. Within a month he was totally back to normal. Then I found him dead for no apparent reason three months later. All the any bites must have taken a toll internally.

Omg I will get traps tomorrow

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Like Tom I use Terro, or Ambro ant baits. I also take out the tort and pour boiling water over the substrate.......

 

[John Franzwa]

Like Tom I use Terro, or Ambro ant baits. I also take out the tort and pour boiling water over the substrate.......

Ok I will do when I get home from school tomorrow

 

[dmmj]

Do u think the swarm will come

I can't say one way or the other to be honest with you ants in my experience have no Rhyme or Reason as to what they go after. if they find something they like they will come if not they won't. Destroying the colony is the best way to go. but I've used boric acid and dichotomous Earth to great effect over the years