I need help, and ASAP please! I live in southern California and lately it's been really hot, so the ants are everywhere in my house trying to look for water and food. I can't home yesterday to find my millipede enclosure tank crawling with ants getting to the moist moss and food, thankfully both my millipedes are molting so they're all the way on the bottom and the ants were only going to the water and food, anyways I cleaned it yesterday but they still can't back today. Right now I put tape all around the bottom of the tank(didn't really help before) as well as some baby powder all around the bottom while I find a better solution. Please help me.
Ant infestation help!!!!
- Thread starter Symarip94
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Smokehound714
Arachnoking
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I'm assuming you're suffering an argentine ant invasion. You can get rid of them with borax and sugar-water.
The trick is to use enough to keep them alive long enough to reach the colony and spread the borax-laced solution. That way you can hit the auxiliary queens and their numbers will drop severely.
Load the water with tons of sugar, and the borax and stir it until clear, it should be lightly yellow but clear. Pour it on a flat shallow dish, and place cotton balls along the water line so they soak it up. keep the dish filled so it doesnt all get absorbed by the cotton and dry out.
The trick is to use enough to keep them alive long enough to reach the colony and spread the borax-laced solution. That way you can hit the auxiliary queens and their numbers will drop severely.
Load the water with tons of sugar, and the borax and stir it until clear, it should be lightly yellow but clear. Pour it on a flat shallow dish, and place cotton balls along the water line so they soak it up. keep the dish filled so it doesnt all get absorbed by the cotton and dry out.
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Idly wondering if the dog would object to being dipped in a sugar water borax solution since it seems likely the ants are going to eat him anyway.
Arachnomaniac19
Arachnolord
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You can put certain materials around your tank to stop ants from going in. I've heard of Vaseline being an option. It shouldn't be toxic as well since ant keepers use it to prevent escapes.
Khagra
Arachnosquire
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I swear by this stuff. I live in AZ where it's always hot and we have tons of ants. Whenever I put this stuff out, they swarm it and the ant problem always cleared up within 48 hours.
http://www.amazon.com/TERRO-Killer-...=UTF8&qid=1441409624&sr=8-1&keywords=ant+trap
If you get it, just put it near where the ants are coming in and they'll take it back to the colony.
For safety precautions i suggest moving your tank far from where the ants are coming in.
That way they cant carry any of that poison into your own enclosure. Good luck!
http://www.amazon.com/TERRO-Killer-...=UTF8&qid=1441409624&sr=8-1&keywords=ant+trap
If you get it, just put it near where the ants are coming in and they'll take it back to the colony.
For safety precautions i suggest moving your tank far from where the ants are coming in.
That way they cant carry any of that poison into your own enclosure. Good luck!
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That's when I go outside, find out where they are coming in and sprinkle Amdro Fire Ant granules. The stuff isn't bad on the environment like some other stuff, decays to non-toxic pretty fast, just make sure there are no chickens around if you use it. Go read about it if you have concerns.
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Yes, this is it. Buy this. It is cheap and it will not hurt your arthropods. This is the best choice after years of trying alternatives.
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That stuff IS borax. Save some money and just buy the chemical without the fancy package and sale pitch.
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Ya, but you have to mix the materials and put in a container that will work. I have done this. It is a mess and a fair amount of work. You also have to find a dispensing container that will work and not dry out. I have yet to find a good container. All of this is already done for you at $1 a container. It is $6 for 6 containers and I use one ever couple months. I go through about one $6 box with 6 containers about every few years. If the fluid dries out I just add some water and it works another couple months. Super cheap and very convenient. Totally worth the $6.
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Sorry but I have to ask, paper or plastic? Please, no offense meant. A huge amount of natural resources would be saved, will be saved, when the world gets over this convenient packaging inundating our lives and landfills. Borax: $1200 per ton, Dish out what you think you, your friends and family will need for the rest of their lives then package up the rest in recyclable containers with the label,Ya, but you have to mix the materials and put in a container that will work. I have done this. It is a mess and a fair amount of work. You also have to find a dispensing container that will work and not dry out. I have yet to find a good container. All of this is already done for you at $1 a container. It is $6 for 6 containers and I use one ever couple months. I go through about one $6 box with 6 containers about every few years. If the fluid dries out I just add some water and it works another couple months. Super cheap and very convenient. Totally worth the $6.
Disodium tetraborate. Eco Friendly extremely low toxicity, biodegradable ant killer and repellent! Add a couple of tablespoons to a quart of water, add 2 tablespoons of sugar, mix thoroughly and apply.
Sell it for $2 or $3 a package. Make the package reusable as a storage container while you're at it. I'd buy a few packages. Can't get borax over here.
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Harmless and deodorized. It eventually creeps so an occasional reapplication will be in order. Watch for ants using their dead to make bridges over the Vaseline. Putting tanks up on blocks then coating the blocks may be an easier way to go sometimes. Also water filled bowls under table legs.
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Until you've gotten rid of the ants completely with the suggestions above, I'd move all the pedes to a table that has all of its legs in bowls of water. That's what I resorted to when I had an ant infestation.