Tort's enclosure is unfortuantly away from sunlight so I want to bring him outside, but unfourtanatly it seems like there is a lot of red ants around the edge of the concrete. I also have a pool, so he doesn't have much room to roam around if I keep him from the ants. I do keep watch of him while he is outside so he doesn't get too close to the pool, but he usually goes towards the dirt/rocky area, or the pool. Milkweed beetles also come around during spring and I have no idea if they are safe. We do have trees that I have no idea if the dried leaves are safe, but I can easily sweep the concrete, but the outside area is covered with them. The trees are willow acacia. Whenever I have Tort out he decides to try to eat everything I let him eat (including holes in the concrete for a pool fence) so I have no idea if it's safe for him to go outside the concrete, but he will have a lot more room to play if it is.
Are ants safe?
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Acacia leaves aren't safe. I don't know about the bugs but I would be afraid of the red ants. @Tom has some recommendations to get rid of ants. Do you have a grassy area for him?
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Ants are not good. There are certain ants called fire ants which could kill a small tortoise in a matter of minutes. "Normal" red ants also bite, but they are not nearly as bad as the fire ants. You should figure out what type of ants you have to be safe. If you put your foot or finger near a fire ant nest or mound and push the anthill around a bit, they will swarm out of it and bite whatever is disturbing the sand or dirt. You can use a stick instead of a body part to be safe. If there are fire ants, they will cover the stick in a few seconds or so. The fire ants in GA form huge mounds of dirt, so it is pretty easy to see them, but there are other types which are smaller and have less conspicuous mounds.
A nursing home aide took a lady in a wheelchair outsideto get some fresh air and one wheel accidentally came to rest onto a fire ant nest. The lady was left there unattended for an hour. When the aide returned to get the lady she had been so severely bitten by the ants that she died.
A nursing home aide took a lady in a wheelchair outsideto get some fresh air and one wheel accidentally came to rest onto a fire ant nest. The lady was left there unattended for an hour. When the aide returned to get the lady she had been so severely bitten by the ants that she died.
With all the uncertainty in your yard, I'd suggest you build a large enclosure away from all the things that could be a problem. Its not good for tortoises to be on concrete. Here are some suggestions: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/outdoor-enclosures.121732/
To get rids of ants, I like the Terro ant baits, which are non-toxic, or the Amdro ant granules which are a toxic pesticide, but its safe if you use it correctly. The directions say to scatter it all over the place near where the ants are. I ignore that. I pour a small mound right on top of the ant hill entrance. To clear their entrance, the ants carry all the "food" blocking their hole down into the colony. Wipes them right out. It takes about an hour or two for the ants to clear the bait from the surface, so don't let your tortoise have access to that area until you are sure all the bait is gone.
All of the above is general info, but what size, age and species of tortoise are we talking about. You'll need to take great care that your tortoise doesn't cook in the hot AZ sun.
To get rids of ants, I like the Terro ant baits, which are non-toxic, or the Amdro ant granules which are a toxic pesticide, but its safe if you use it correctly. The directions say to scatter it all over the place near where the ants are. I ignore that. I pour a small mound right on top of the ant hill entrance. To clear their entrance, the ants carry all the "food" blocking their hole down into the colony. Wipes them right out. It takes about an hour or two for the ants to clear the bait from the surface, so don't let your tortoise have access to that area until you are sure all the bait is gone.
All of the above is general info, but what size, age and species of tortoise are we talking about. You'll need to take great care that your tortoise doesn't cook in the hot AZ sun.
Ah thanks so much, I'll see what I can do. Tort is about 5 years (today marks the 5th year I've had him, but I don't know his exact birthday) and a Sulcata. I'm not sure his size, I will have to find a ruler or something. I am going to make sure it's not too hot or cold (not that it gets cold here) he will still have his indoor enclosure for a while.
Awful story! What part of the country can these fire ants be found?
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They are the worst in the southeast, including the gulf coast of TX plus the coastal area of the southern half or so of CA. They are gradually working their way northward, though. Here is a map of fire ant distribution:
We too have red ants in our environment (fortunate not of the fire ant variety) . We successfully use a mix of about two tablespoons of dish detergent to a quart of water. We simply pour the mis over the area of the ant nest and by the morning the ants are gone. They sometimes pop back up a few yards away, but after a few doses of did water they get the message and are soon gone. Foreskin, I an alarmed that you would allow your tort anyway near the pool. Tortoises drown quickly, and as I'm sure you've observed, tortoises can move with determination when they set their mind to it. Enjoy your sully, as always, Orv
I am terribly embarrassed by the above mis-spellings. Perhaps one of our forum admins will fix them for me. . . please! I don't know how to edit, but am very willing to learn.
Don't worry about misspellings. I don't think people on here will criticize you for not being all knowing or perfect. We just want to chat about out torts and learn as much as possible. Goodnight, be well!
Loritort, you are most gracious.
I'm always watching when he is outside. He does seem to understand that it is danger, but either way I am very careful to make sure he doesn't get too close. I could let him crawl in the front yard, but there are many cactus plants and my mom had put thorns in the yard to deter strays. There is also lots of plants that I have no idea if it's safe for him. Either way I make sure to keep an eye on him at all times. Thanks for the help everyone!
I was going to warn you about protecting him from the intense AZ heat, but if you've had him for 5 years, then you and he must have worked out a successful solution already.
This technique almost always leads to disaster. Make a large enclosure and only let your tortoise roam in there.
Well, I guess I'll just have to leave him inside for the time being. One of biggest reason I want to take him out, is because he hurt himself awhile ago, and I want to make sure he heals well. Of course along with keeping him healthy and whatnot.
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