Any experience with tarantulas reacting to mint leaves?

[Anansi12]

Apparently crushed mint leaves are an effective natural ant repellant. So with its effect on ants (among other pests), I was wondering if it might harm or bother my T's.

 

[captmarga]

How or why would you be using them? I don't see a reason for them to be in the tank/cage/habitat with the T. You could put the fresh crushed mint all around the outside of the habitat, and it shouldn't bother the T at all.

Just remember that if you have a feline in the house, catnip and mint are related, and if you have crushed mint out, any cat will investigate.

Marga

 

[Kazaam]

Explain why you want to know this first.

 

[rockhopper]

Explain why you want to know this first.

Read the first post. To keep ants (and other pests) away.

I would agree with captmarga that putting it outside the enclosure would be safe. No personal experience with it directly outside the tarantula enclosure, but I have had a mint plan in somewhat close vicinity to the tarantulas enclosures with no issue.

 

[Kazaam]

Read the first post. To keep ants (and other pests) away.

I would agree with captmarga that putting it outside the enclosure would be safe. No personal experience with it directly outside the tarantula enclosure, but I have had a mint plan in somewhat close vicinity to the tarantulas enclosures with no issue.

I see, and I agree with you, I got some mint plants too.

 

[Anansi12]

How or why would you be using them? I don't see a reason for them to be in the tank/cage/habitat with the T. You could put the fresh crushed mint all around the outside of the habitat, and it shouldn't bother the T at all.

Just remember that if you have a feline in the house, catnip and mint are related, and if you have crushed mint out, any cat will investigate.

Marga

I'd be using them to keep away the ants who keep invading. I was planning on putting them on top of and around the afflicted cages. Special thanks for the tidbit about the cat, I had no idea about that. Not that my cat has yet to have any response to catnip, though.

---------- Post added 09-21-2012 at 04:30 PM ----------

Explain why you want to know this first.

I was trying to understand what you meant by that and just figured you didn't read the full post at first. Now I realize my post could have been taken as looking for a way to pester/harm my T's. I just couldn't fathom such a desire

 

[Legion09]

I once found a batch of spiderlings on my mother's mint plant outside of her home...I broke off a piece of the plant, put it in a deli container and came home. In the 5 minutes it took to drive from there to here, all the spiderlings were dead and a huge waft of mint came out of the container. It's my assumption that the mint fumes smothered them in the container, but being outside the fumes were safely dispersed.

 

[Anansi12]

Yikes! That's a pretty immediate response to the mint. As far as I've read, it doesn't even kill the ants, just throws them off their scent trail. I guess that leads to my next question: Are T's safe to be kept near those black ant traps? I had no choice but to leave at least one around where I keep my slings because my A. versicolor was murdered after a molt.

 

[skar]

Hmmmm . ... It would be sweet to have mint in 1 of my Ts containment field . ..
Then we could both eat at the same time

Ant traps are just glue ? ? what are you using ?

 

[Anansi12]

Hmmmm . ... It would be sweet to have mint in 1 of my Ts containment field . ..
Then we could both eat at the same time

Ant traps are just glue ? ? what are you using ?

Not to mention the T might want to use some mint to freshen up for all the ~ladies~

The ant traps I currently use are just these basic ones: http://www.freeclipartnow.com/d/26741-1/ant-trap.jpg

 

[SamuraiSid]

I'd be using them to keep away the ants who keep invading.

I've seen a set-up where they put the shelf on stilts, and rested the stilts on upside down large bottle caps filled with veg. oil.

What kind of ant?

 

[Ivymike1973]

I have been battling ants for the past several months. Lost 2 slings and 3 plings to the little bastards.
I wouldn't count on mint to deter them. Although I haven't tried it, I have tried black pepper and the ants walk right through it with impunity.
The only thing I have found that actually works is a physical barrier that they cannot cross, such as the cups of water or oil or in my case I found some super fine mesh screen and made vent covers out of it so the ants can't get through it.
I even tried putting vaseline around the enclosure and that didn't stop them.

I would be very interested to hear if you come up with a true solution.

 

[Anansi12]

I switched from the black traps to Raid (red box, white trap) which have been immediately effective. They're the kind where the ants bring the bait back to their nest. Used to see chains of ants, even after 15 minute squish-fests. I saw a single ant this weekend. I'm not really sure what type of ant they are/were. Pretty small, dark red bodies, mildly active at day, buck wild at night.

I decided not to try the mint because I heard a case or two for attracting ants ::