How to keep the ants off food

[Livingstone]

I keep having a problem with mazuri, ants can smell it a mile away. I got fed up with this and stopped the mazuri for a couple of days thinking the ants would move on... no such luck, so I had to get creative. I wanted a moat but couldn't think of a good way to keep the food level with the ground and off the ground at the same time.

Until this dawned on me!

This has probably been done before but I thought that it was an elegant solution to a pesky problem. I used to terra-cota dishes from Lowes, the smaller one is inverted so its level with the ground. The larger one is dug in about 2" so the edges are flush.

The tortoise in the pictures in 14" SCL long just for a size reference. The large dish is 16.5", the smaller is 14".

 

[ascott]

LMAO....in a good way, good job---funny what ants will drive us to do huh....

 

[dmmj]

Besides a moat, or chalk line, I can't think of anything else.

 

[Carlos83]

Besides a moat, or chalk line, I can't think of anything else.

Very creative

 

[wellington]

I love your idea. I too had thought about a moat, but didn't think my Leo would go through it to get the food, plus he is still small and i thought it would have to be too big. I had stopped feeding anything outside because of the ants. I let him just graze and wait until he is inside to give any goodies I had read before that oat meal and corn meal will keep them away, but I did t want to feed the birds and rats of the neighborhood. I will be copying your idea for next summer. I haven't seen it shared on here before. So thank you for thinking of it and sharing.

 

[kathyth]

I will follow in your lead.
Great idea!

 

[mattgrizzlybear]

Love the idea! Keep them coming! Can't wait for next summer!

 

[LuckysGirl007]

It is just like a moat, really! NICE!