Ant problems...

dogeatdog

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 12, 2007
Messages
43
I don't even know how many times my cricket enclosure has been infested with ants... First, I had them outside, they got infested. Next, I kept them in my closet, it got infested. I don't even know where to put them anymore because it seems like they will find my circkets (of course).

Tonight I sprayed down my cricket carrier with Black Flag (sort of like Raid) and I'm afraid of putting my crickets in there and feeding them to my scorp. So I have put them in a coffee bottle with enough ventilation, carrots, and gut load.

When Will it be fine to put them back into my cricket carrier without doing any harm to my scorp? I have washed it down thouroghly with soap and water but I can still smell the spray a little. I have put it outside to let it dry...

Also, Is there a way I can prevent getting ants in my cricket enclosure?


please help! :)
 

skinheaddave

SkorpionSkin
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 15, 2002
Messages
4,341
In your case, it should be easy enough to moat the container. That being said, I'd never use that container again given the tendency of insesticides to leave a residual. So get yourself a new container and put it in a shallow tray of water with enough weight in it to keep it from floating around.

Cheers,
Dave
 

dogeatdog

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 12, 2007
Messages
43
thank you guys, i will try out these methods to see which one works the best for me :)
 

jen650s

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 29, 2007
Messages
333
Here is a good way to get rid of ants that will not have toxic residue for your other animals. Although moats and such like will work you need to stay on top of the water level and worry about mildew and mold as well as not tipping your enclosure into the moat. This is very inexpensive, can be put where they are entering your house or even in the yard as long as you secure it from the local animals (inside a small soda bottle works well outside)

Try this on the ants, it not only drives them away, it kills the colony as they take the bait back to the nest. It is not too toxic, and it would take a lot of boric acid to hurt a cat and I've never found one to be interested in eating the stuff anyway. You can also put this in cabinets and closets where your cat is unlikely to be.

for Argentine ants (or other sugar eaters)
2 Tsp Boric Acid

1/4 Cup Hot Water

1 Cup Corn Syrup (light or dark) you can substitute simple syrup if you don't have corn syrup.

Dissolve boric acid in hot water. Stir into corn syrup. Place in bottle caps, jar lids, etc... (with a cotton ball if you want to kill the colony-the ants will take the cotton fibers back to the nest to feed the young but replace them frequently or they will mold). Place where ants are noticed. Add a few drops of water daily to keep them moist.

Mix ingredients thoroughly, mark them POISON, and store them out of reach of children.

A good method of putting out the bait is on masking tape. Simply stick a small piece of masking tape where ants are noticed and spread some of the bait on the tape. Change the tape every two or three days.
Another application method is to fill a plastic ketchup bottle with the bait, label the bottle POISON, and then as needed, cut a drinking straw into 2-inch pieces, fill with bait and place near ant trails.


Grease ants (or other fat/protein eaters)

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

1Tsp Brown Sugar

1/2 Tsp Boric Acid

Mix all of the ingredients together and use the straws listed above.

* Boric acid powder can be purchased at any drugstore or in retail centers specifically labeled for ants or cockroaches.

Good luck,
---Jen
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