Worried about fire ants

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michellecahal

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My daughter has saved for a long time now to purchase a Sulcata. She's done her research and we know and are prepared for what's eventually coming in regards to outdoor enclosures. For the baby we'll be getting, we will have a table indoors and a cage for outdoors. My concern is that even though we treat for fireants on a regular basis, I don't want them to hurt the tortoise. We don't plan to take him to his outdoors cage until he's at least a year old, but I'm getting my worry on now so I can be figuring out how to deal with the ant situation.

Does anyone here live in Texas and have the same situation? Have you dealt with fireants? If so, what are your suggestions?

Thank you!

PS...newbie here! I'm very glad I was told about this forum!
 

Terry Allan Hall

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michellecahal said:
My daughter has saved for a long time now to purchase a Sulcata. She's done her research and we know and are prepared for what's eventually coming in regards to outdoor enclosures. For the baby we'll be getting, we will have a table indoors and a cage for outdoors. My concern is that even though we treat for fireants on a regular basis, I don't want them to hurt the tortoise. We don't plan to take him to his outdoors cage until he's at least a year old, but I'm getting my worry on now so I can be figuring out how to deal with the ant situation.

Does anyone here live in Texas and have the same situation? Have you dealt with fireants? If so, what are your suggestions?

Thank you!

PS...newbie here! I'm very glad I was told about this forum!

The ONLY effective fire ant treatment is also the safest for your tortoise AND your family...raw grits (but not the instant kind)...see a mount, pour about a cup of the grits on it, the worker ants carry it down to the colony, who eat it, it reacts w/ their body fluids and they swell up and literally explode!

Since learning of this, about 12 years ago, I just watch for mounds building up and promptly treat the little B******s to a nice Southern breakfast...gone in a day or two! Haven't had any problems since about 2000. :D

Keep a 3" wide border around your tortoise's outside home and he/she'll be safe. If your tortoise should eat a little, no problem, either. :cool:
 

Madkins007

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There are a lot of stories of tortoises being ignored by fire ants, army ants, etc. I don't know how far I would trust the stories, but many tortoises are native in areas where ants are a real concern.
 

Terry Allan Hall

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Madkins007 said:
There are a lot of stories of tortoises being ignored by fire ants, army ants, etc. I don't know how far I would trust the stories, but many tortoises are native in areas where ants are a real concern.

I know of one example of a box turtle being killed by fire ants, so I figure Better Safe Than Sorry. Besides, they're also a real danger to most mammals, including children...

Kill 'em w/ grits whenever you see 'em.

Native ants, otoh, are excluded from my Formicidaecidal frenzy, of course. :cool:
 
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