- Joined
- Sep 18, 2002
- Messages
- 320
My G. Pulchra spiderling molted six days ago. His keeper was cleaned before he molted, so there were no prey items introduced before yesterday. I'd say he's been in there for a couple of weeks. I have periodically noticed tiny red/brown ants on the kitchen countertop. The T's keeper is over 20 feet from the kitchen. About a month ago I got a "peace lilly" plant and placed it beside the T's keeper, to help shield light. Lately I had been watering the plant more. The bag of Jungle Mix is kept in a bottom kitchen cabinet, but is tightly sealed.
Three days ago I noticed that the crickets I keep in a tamale jar in an upper kitchen cabinet had died, perhaps of dessication - though they looked fine the day before. Swarming around them were masses of these tiny ants. I quickly washed the jar and sprayed the ants with Windex, which killed them. Yesterday I brough home fresh crickets and immediately fed one to my T, which is the first he's eaten in over two weeks. The T ate it readily, and nothing looked unusual. An hour later I looked in on the T and noticed it standing in an exaggerated way that lifted its body off the substrate (see attached pic). It even pointed its rump in the air. Then I noticed them - dozens of these tiny ants. Not as many as were on the crickets, though. I didn't notice any on the T, though there probably were. I noticed them crawling on the side of the keeper and on the substrate. Later, I found 3 on the heating pad, but have not found any around the keeper since. I swear, it's almost as if the ants appeared suddenly out of nowhere.
I transferred the T to a temporary container and cleaned its keeper, killing all the ants. I throw out the plant. After the T was transferred to its cleaned keeper, I noticed it "cleaning" its fangs/pedipalps, front legs in a rythmic side-to-side motion. I could see its sharp thin fangs moving in and out like cat's claws. Maybe it was cleaning soap residue from walking briefly on the bathtub.
How dangerous are ants this tiny to a T, especially a 1 1/2+ spiderlling? How do you get rid of an ant infestation without hurting a T? How can you protect a T from ants, especially when you're away?
Three days ago I noticed that the crickets I keep in a tamale jar in an upper kitchen cabinet had died, perhaps of dessication - though they looked fine the day before. Swarming around them were masses of these tiny ants. I quickly washed the jar and sprayed the ants with Windex, which killed them. Yesterday I brough home fresh crickets and immediately fed one to my T, which is the first he's eaten in over two weeks. The T ate it readily, and nothing looked unusual. An hour later I looked in on the T and noticed it standing in an exaggerated way that lifted its body off the substrate (see attached pic). It even pointed its rump in the air. Then I noticed them - dozens of these tiny ants. Not as many as were on the crickets, though. I didn't notice any on the T, though there probably were. I noticed them crawling on the side of the keeper and on the substrate. Later, I found 3 on the heating pad, but have not found any around the keeper since. I swear, it's almost as if the ants appeared suddenly out of nowhere.
I transferred the T to a temporary container and cleaned its keeper, killing all the ants. I throw out the plant. After the T was transferred to its cleaned keeper, I noticed it "cleaning" its fangs/pedipalps, front legs in a rythmic side-to-side motion. I could see its sharp thin fangs moving in and out like cat's claws. Maybe it was cleaning soap residue from walking briefly on the bathtub.
How dangerous are ants this tiny to a T, especially a 1 1/2+ spiderlling? How do you get rid of an ant infestation without hurting a T? How can you protect a T from ants, especially when you're away?
