Fire ants

[JenniferAnn]

I noticed a some fire ants outside in Woodys enclosure. How have you all dealt with this problem? There's no visible ant beds, but I know they are close since the ants are running around.

 

[mike taylor]

Get a torch and burn them suckers !

 

[Kasia]

I noticed a some fire ants outside in Woodys enclosure. How have you all dealt with this problem? There's no visible ant beds, but I know they are close since the ants are running around.

Some gasoline and matches will do the job....

 

[JoesMum]

Diatomaceous Earth might leave your house standing

 

[JenniferAnn]

Haha. Sounds like fun! Will do.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Buy some ant bait, poison designed for fire ants and put it in a tub or something like a mayonnaise jar with a lid with holes poked in it. You can even ad something like jelly.
The ants will take the bait to the nest and your tort will never be in danger.
I spray my yard now that my tortoises stay in their pen. This way most ants never make it there in the first place.

 

[Careym13]

I use the DE Earth (FOOD GRADE)...we don't have fire ants where I live but we do have tons of black ants...works on them.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

DE is great stuff. But here it rains a lot.
Quite often it's once a day.

 

[Pearly]

I use the DE Earth (FOOD GRADE)...we don't have fire ants where I live but we do have tons of black ants...works on them.

Where do you buy food grade DE?

 

[Careym13]

Where do you buy food grade DE?

I get mine on Amazon. Feed stores like tractor supply sell it too.

 

[Pearly]

Fire ants have been on my mind too as I'm almost ready toget those babies evicted from the house into their tortoise garden, but not before I deal with fire ant hills in there and around. I've always used the fire ant sprinkles from garden store but those are chemicals... So I've let things wash out with the rains and just go for a while and last week went to this really cool nursery. The owner recommended that I use orange oil to pour directly over ant hills and sprinkle dry molasses in the enclosure and around the perimeter. I just did that yesterday.... Now it's the "wait' see"

 

[Pearly]

I get mine on Amazon. Feed stores like tractor supply sell it too.

Thx

 

[Careym13]

Fire ants have been on my mind too as I'm almost ready toget those babies evicted from the house into their tortoise garden, but not before I deal with fire ant hills in there and around. I've always used the fire ant sprinkles from garden store but those are chemicals... So I've let things wash out with the rains and just go for a while and last week went to this really cool nursery. The owner recommended that I use orange oil to pour directly over ant hills and sprinkle dry molasses in the enclosure and around the perimeter. I just did that yesterday.... Now it's the "wait' see"

Let us know how that works. Does it hold up more to rain or do you have to re-apply like the DE?

 

[Pearly]

Let us know how that works. Does it hold up more to rain or do you have to re-apply like the DE?

That I'm not sure, but I heard that Texas farmers have been doing this for decades. Also orange oil is diluted in water, and molasses can be applied either dry or in liquid form by prayer hose attachment... So, I'd think the rain shouldn't bother it

 

[JenniferAnn]

I use the DE Earth (FOOD GRADE)...we don't have fire ants where I live but we do have tons of black ants...works on them.

Do you put this in a jar like other ant poisons so the tort doesn't have access? I read some reviews and people use it daily.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

DE isn't dangerous to your tortoise...Or you. just sprinkle it on the ground where ever ants are crawling.
It is not a poison.
But it will need to be re applied if it rains.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Where do you buy food grade DE?

I get mine from Home Depot online. St. Ives or St. Eves brand. I forget.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Fire ants are on a steady decline in Florida. Hopefully it's a trend that will continue.

 

[Careym13]

Do you put this in a jar like other ant poisons so the tort doesn't have access? I read some reviews and people use it daily.

I just sprinkle it, same as ZEROPILOT. You and your tort can ingest it and it will not hurt either of you. The only downside is that it is messy and does not work if it gets wet. I fill a squeezable condiment bottle and use that to spread it around.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It's very powdery. It looks like fine cornstarch.
Look on Youtube. Humans eat it to "cure" tapeworms.