Ants - Help

[CarolM]

Hi everyone.
As those on the forum who know me, know that we are going through a water shortage here in Cape Town.
I have noticed lately that where there is any water or if the area is damp that there are ants. Tonight I noticed few of them in Rue's enclosure. I have squashed those. But I am worried that there are going to be more as obviously I keep the substrate damp and Rue has her waterbowls. How can I control the ants without harming Rue.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

What I do here in humid Florida may also work anywhere else.
I treat the entire yard...outside of the tortoise pens with ant granules. Keep the tortoises off of the treated areas for at least a week. (Mine seldom leave the pen anyway)
Then INSIDE the pen, I place glass mayonnaise jars with holes poked in the lids. Inside the jars I place commercial ant baits/poison. I then hide the jars out of sight within the pens.
What you have are very inexpensive, nearly waterproof, 100% safe ant stations. Reusable and unvisible.
I'm proud to say that I have been able to absolutely control fire ants this way.
Other ants seem even less able to cope.
Good luck.

 

[CarolM]

What I do here in humid Florida may also work anywhere else.
I treat the entire yard...outside of the tortoise pens with ant granules. Keep the tortoises off of the treated areas for at least a week. (Mine seldom leave the pen anyway)
Then INSIDE the pen, I place glass mayonnaise jars with holes poked in the lids. Inside the jars I place commercial ant baits/poison. I then hide the jars out of sight within the pens.
What you have are very inexpensive, nearly waterproof, 100% safe ant stations. Reusable and unvisible.
I'm proud to say that I have been able to absolutely control fire ants this way.
Other ants seem even less able to cope.
Good luck.

That sounds like an awesome plan. Thank you Ed.

 

[Tom]

I have found that different species of ant and different climates call for different techniques.

Over here we have a product called "Terro Ant Bait". It is just Borax and sugar water, so relatively non-toxic to pets and people. If your ants are looking for water, this will surely attract them. They carry it back to the colony and the queen and it wipes them all out.

 

[CarolM]

I have found that different species of ant and different climates call for different techniques.

Over here we have a product called "Terro Ant Bait". It is just Borax and sugar water, so relatively non-toxic to pets and people. If your ants are looking for water, this will surely attract them. They carry it back to the colony and the queen and it wipes them all out.
View attachment 229055

Thanks Tom. I don't recall seeing anything like that here. They do have a Baygon ant trap. Maybe if I put that on the table next to the enclosure (on the outside of the enclosure) or try Ed's idea with the mayonaise jars. It might work. I will just have to check the ingredients, maybe I can find something this side that only has Borax and sugarwater as well. I actually feel sorry for them, as they are just trying to get water like the rest of us.

 

[Tom]

Thanks Tom. I don't recall seeing anything like that here. They do have a Baygon ant trap. Maybe if I put that on the table next to the enclosure (on the outside of the enclosure) or try Ed's idea with the mayonaise jars. It might work. I will just have to check the ingredients, maybe I can find something this side that only has Borax and sugarwater as well. I actually feel sorry for them, as they are just trying to get water like the rest of us.

You won't feel sorry for them when you see them all over one of your tortoises, eating it alive.

I'm all for appreciating nature, but I've learned the hard way that I have to keep nature out of my tortoise pens. The ants are free to live out in the wild and do anything they want out there. I won't interfere and will even protect them out in their own space.

 

[CarolM]

You won't feel sorry for them when you see them all over one of your tortoises, eating it alive.

I'm all for appreciating nature, but I've learned the hard way that I have to keep nature out of my tortoise pens. The ants are free to live out in the wild and do anything they want out there. I won't interfere and will even protect them out in their own space.

I know. Thanks so much for the help.

 

[TammyJ]

How are you doing with this problem now, Carol?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Hopefully you'll notice soon that there just are no more ants.

 

[CarolM]

How are you doing with this problem now, Carol?

Hi Tammy.
So far the jar ant trap is working. Used this method as I wanted to make sure the poison is only accessible to the ants and nothing else.

 

[CarolM]

Hopefully you'll notice soon that there just are no more ants.

Still working on it. As have only used your jar method. I think that I need a few more jars though. I only had two available. One i used inside and the other outside.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Hi Tammy.
So far the jar ant trap is working. Used this method as I wanted to make sure the poison is only accessible to the ants and nothing else.

Not a trap. But a semi waterproof, safe ant poison station.