Ants and how to fight them??

[bagheera]

I now have my spiders at my warehouse since I can't keep them where I live.

But I am a little nervous.

Some 3 years ago when I decided that it was high time to get another spider .I bought an adult smithii. I put her in my office.

Well this is an industrial complex, mostly businesses, but there are a few people who do live in their units. Some of these people leave bits of food about. Hence ants. The little ones. That get everywhere, and suddenly there are 100,00 of the little bastards swarming on.a.breadcrumb. Or a nub of soap.

That smithii was relocated to my (former) house after I came into the office one Sunday and looked in on the spider. On one side of the tank was the smithii. On tipy toes. Looking very uncomfortable. On the other side was a dead cricket. Under about a million ants. Well I freaked, immidiately removed the spider to a safe haven. This incidentally was the first time I ever handled that spider. He graciously allowed me to take him out! The tank, of course went in toto, into a large bucket of water. After cleaning and reassembling his cage, I took the smithii home.

On Monday, I declared war. On Ants. I, as high commander of Ant Negation Team (ANT) went to the hardware store and spent $50 on lethal agents. For $50 you can buy a lot of insect death! I poured gallons and gallons of malathion all around the property I emptied can after can of spray death. I left ant traps everywhere. Several pounds of boric acid. I was thorough. I did not see an ant here for over a year.* :clap:

NOW. The ants are back. I see scouts wandering aimlessly. looking. for something. I feel fear. If they should happen upon the spiders, well I can't be as liberal with the poison as was a few years ago, not without collateral damages from "friendly fire" .

Do I dare put poison outside? Just how close can I spread toxics without curling my spiders? Has anyone any ideas here?

*I WAS NAMED DEATH OF ANTS

 

[SpiderDork]

Would it be practical to get a large shallow pan, fill it with water and place the T's enclosure in the middle of the pan thereby forming a "moat" around the enclosure? I have never tried something like that but I believe it may a non-toxic solution. If you are looking more for a more chemical solution then I would contact Code Monkey as he appears to be the resident expert in regards to toxins and their effects on inverterbrates.

 

[curioussnake]

Would it be practical to get a large shallow pan, fill it with water and place the T's enclosure in the middle of the pan thereby forming a "moat" around the enclosure?

This is what i do to keep ants away from my spiderlings It is safe from ants provided the water din't dried up . But would be rather inconvenient if ur tank is big.

 

[bagheera]

A mote is not practical here. Too many enclosures spead about.....

 

[NoS]

Peppermint oil.

 

[defour]

A mote is not practical here. Too many enclosures spead about.....

The moat idea is the main one I've heard of. It would be worth a try if you can consolidate the cages into a shelving unit or something. Or, you might try equipping your T's with cauldrons of boiling oil with which to sear the ants.

I don't like the all-out chemical warfare idea. It may work for awhile, but it's not real groundwater friendly.

I tried out for ANT when I was in the Navy. They rejected me because I run funny.

Steve

 

[Dragonhunter]

Diatomacious Earth...Read up on it first though...It seems to do a good job with ants and about every other crawly thing. Put it on the ground, on your carpet, counter tops, wherever. It's pretty harmless to people and pets (except be careful not to get any on your T's) It kills by cutting up the Exoskeleton of inverts and drawing the blood out of them thus dehydrating and killing them. very cool stuff. I use it in my carpet like carpet fresh. had a flea problem for a while. All gone now. Just make sure your T can't get out.

 

[bagheera]

Ah, dead diatoms! Did you know that that is how Doulton (of Royal Doultan) received his knighthood? In Victorias day, he used diotomaceous earth to produce bacterial level water filters. I found some really neat original filters in Burma.

I too am not keen on surrounding myself with poison.

defout: all you needed to do at your interview was to repeat, "I WANNA KILL, I WANNA KILL,......" works every time! lol

 

[shogun804]

what about double sided sticky tape...

 

[Nia]

Ah.. somewhere that this newbie can help out.

I happen to work in an agriculture/government/pesticide related job and have a non toxic though messy solution to get rid of ants.

I use powdered cinnamon when I come across ants where I don't want them. They walk in the powder and take it back into the community (I like to especially sprinkle ant hills). The powdered cinnamon will get into their lungs and kill them. Very toxic for ants, yet leaves tarantulas alone as long as you don't sprinkle it where they can get into it. It is also safe for humans. Leave the powdered cinnamon on the ground, tables, etc. for a day or two then clean up the mess. No more ants! May need to be repeated as necessary.

I also noted that someone suggested peppermint oil. As an oil it can volatize and get into the air that we breath. Peppermint oil can be toxic for insects, so I wouldn't want to try it out near your tarantulas.

 

[ta2edpop]

I have used to mote-it works. Petro-jelly-it works. I do like the double sided, it seems to be less cumbersome or messy.
I too would like to end the "days of ants" and would consider joining a military-type bunch to do so. I too tend to run funny and my feet are flat-like Fred Flinstone flat. Yaba-Daba-dooo. Good luck to you.

 

[bagheera]

I actually bought some non-toxic sticky paper (flypaper) today. I thought to surround the tanks with it. I got back, and it occurred to my hyperactive imagination that I might inspect the area one day to find the sticky paper holding 3 or 4 tarantula legs! :8o

I like the cinnimon idea!

 

[ta2edpop]

Keep the tape on the outside of the tank and down about two inches from the lid. That will prevent any accidents or keep you from getting stuck during maint. I like the cinnamon too, especially on my pie. For real though, I'm gonna try that.

 

[Thoth]

I saw on a tv show on inventions, a man had problem with ants swarming into his dogs food dish, so he ran two thin strips of of copper tape (thin pieces of copper metal with an adhesive back) side by side (very close but not touching) around the dish soldered a wire to each strip and connected the wires to a 9v battery. As the ants walked up the side of the dish they would touch both strips of copper completing the circuit getting a shock deterring/stunning them from continuing up the dish. You could do this around the top of the tank.

Alternatively how about a thin strip of vaseline around the outside of the tank.

 

[YouLosePayUp]

Hello:

If you dont want to waste the time trying to kill 100,000's of ants in a fairly large complex. You could try relocating your tarantula into a new housing environment with smaller holes. You can get drill bits as smalle as .030 of and inch and if that still isnt small enough you could burn holes with a small pin. The smaller the holes the more you will nee, but I think it would be worth the time.

 

[ilovebugs]

wow, this was all very interesting.

my mom puts used coffe grains on antbeds in the yard and they die or run away in a few days. my parents aren't big on using pestisides in the yard since we have a river behind the house. I'm not sure if this is poisonous to ants or if it swells up in them. Which reminds me, Grits, grits also work, they swell up and kill ants.

the moat idea might work, unless the ants got crafty and used an Ant-Bridge


well, good luck

 

[ta2edpop]

wow, this was all very interesting.

my mom puts used coffe grains on antbeds in the yard and they die or run away in a few days. my parents aren't big on using pestisides in the yard since we have a river behind the house. I'm not sure if this is poisonous to ants or if it swells up in them. Which reminds me, Grits, grits also work, they swell up and kill ants.

the moat idea might work, unless the ants got crafty and used an Ant-Bridge


well, good luck

So will instant taters. This works well to kill mice too. As long as you keep their water supply away or at least down. It swells inside them and they die. This idea will not work for Ex's though-DAMN!

 

[bagheera]

I appreciate all the helpful suggestions. For now, maybe cinnimon and sticky tape.. But later I think an electrical solution. If 9v is good, 9 kV is better!
(dzzzzaaaaaaaaaaaaaP!)

 

[arachnoguy]

anything powdery that the ants can inhale will more than likely kill them. most commonly used products are cinnamon baking powder/soda or boric acid (just keep clear of your ts). if you want something to spray there is a mix you can look up on the internet made from soaps and beer. and if you don't wish to ditribute death in that manner just boil (preferably not flesh searingly hot) some water and use a towel and get the towel wet and sweep up the ants with it then take the towel out and dust the bodies off. the hot water and towel thing kills most and relocates the survivors as a warning to other ants :evil:

 

[becca81]

I had a brief problem with ants and got the Raid brand gel that comes in what looks like a syringe. Put a little around the place - they were gone the next day and I haven't seen them back since.