ANTS! I knew it'd happen eventually.
- Thread starter Syn
- Start date
Elizadolots
New Member
I don't even know what "tanglefoot" is...but if sticky stuff is a deterrent then that opens a lot of options, doesn't it?
I don't know why I forgot this (unless it was grief...we're still mourning Hoppy) but we used to keep ants out of the frog's terrarium by putting an inch of double sticky tape around it.
I'm so glad your chameleons seem to have come through this well.
I don't know why I forgot this (unless it was grief...we're still mourning Hoppy) but we used to keep ants out of the frog's terrarium by putting an inch of double sticky tape around it.
I'm so glad your chameleons seem to have come through this well.
Syn
Avid Member
My only losses so far are my emergency dubia colony. I had that thing over a year! It's really sad to see it infested with ants but throwing it out instead of trying to save it probably saved me a trip to the hospital. I have so many ant bites just focusing on not letting any of the sprays etc. get into the reptile room that I wasn't really too worried about myself.. now I feel all puffy and not so great.
Elizadolots
New Member
Do you have any OTC antihistamines in the house? Like Benedryl or Clairitin? You might want to take one.
While ant bites aren't usually a problem, even for someone as highly allergic as me, that many could bother anyone.
You should also take a shower and scrub as much as you can to stop anything from continuing to get into your skin.
Is someone with you? If not, then be watchful of breathing problems. You should call 911 right away. If there is someone else there, then that person can be in charge of deciding when or if to call for help. I've had allergic reactions that affected my breathing. It never got to a dangerous stage but had I been alone, I would have called for help.
While ant bites aren't usually a problem, even for someone as highly allergic as me, that many could bother anyone.
You should also take a shower and scrub as much as you can to stop anything from continuing to get into your skin.
Is someone with you? If not, then be watchful of breathing problems. You should call 911 right away. If there is someone else there, then that person can be in charge of deciding when or if to call for help. I've had allergic reactions that affected my breathing. It never got to a dangerous stage but had I been alone, I would have called for help.
Syn
Avid Member
Yes, I've already taken a benedryl. They make me very drowsy and I think I will be going to bed a few hours sooner than I expected.
Oh, and I'm not allergic as far as to requiring those epi pens.
Already showered so it's not as itchy as it was before. Mom is asleep but I keep a cellphone with me at all times.
I'm not allergic to ants but I'd rather not take the risk. You never know when something could cause anaphylactic shock.
Oh, and I'm not allergic as far as to requiring those epi pens.
Already showered so it's not as itchy as it was before. Mom is asleep but I keep a cellphone with me at all times.
I'm not allergic to ants but I'd rather not take the risk. You never know when something could cause anaphylactic shock.
Elizadolots
New Member
Good. It sounds like you've done what you need to do and are taking the right precautions.
I'm highly allergic, but I don't carry a pen. There's no one thing that is so bad I need it, but there are loads of things that get me right to the point of needing it. I've eaten bread that's nearly sent me to the hospital (husband at the phone having dialed 91....watching me if he needs to push the next button).
Sleep well.
I'm highly allergic, but I don't carry a pen. There's no one thing that is so bad I need it, but there are loads of things that get me right to the point of needing it. I've eaten bread that's nearly sent me to the hospital (husband at the phone having dialed 91....watching me if he needs to push the next button).
Sleep well.
Syn
Avid Member
I just woke up to being bit by several ants. Looks like they got into the gecko room. Fortunately they are only going for the area of my room that doesn't have geckos (my bed). It looks like spraying is the only option left. I just spent an hour vacuuming ants and putting down what little borax I had left... not nearly enough to surround one shelf.
If I do get an exterminator to come out, how long will I have to wait until I can move the geckos back in? Or will I not be able to?
If I do get an exterminator to come out, how long will I have to wait until I can move the geckos back in? Or will I not be able to?
Champeleons
New Member
wow, Syn, i feel for you in this situation! Being from Canada, i am trying to wrap my head around how difficult your situation is! We have ants too, but they are not aggressive, & not enough of them come into the house to consider it an epidemic! Hopefully you get it resolved soon so your stress level gets back down
serenitystarlite
Established Member
I wish I had seen this post when you first made it. I had a problem with carpenter ants a couple months ago. I bought an arsenal of things to combat the ants with. At first I was hesitant to use any kinds of poisons because I have 2 cats, 4 chameleons, 2 tarantulas, and 8 other reptiles, but eventually I felt it would be better to get rid of the ants. I bought about 2-3 boxes of Raid ant baits:
I put one in each room of my apartment and about 8 of them in my bedroom where the animals are. This is also where my crickets were that attracted the ants. The ants swarmed in and killed my crickets. It was unsettling. That was my breaking point lol. I also bought a bunch of sticky traps:
I put these all around my cages and roach bins to try and deter any poisoned ants from making their way into any cages. The ants seemed to leave the roaches alone though and were only interested in the crickets. I think this is because they are repelled by orange oil and both of my roach bins had orange slices in them.
Outside I used Raid Outdoor Ant Spikes
and Raid Max Bug Barrier
I was worried about using anything inside but the ant baits seemed to work really well. I haven't lost any animals. My roach colony is still alive and breeding. I had to give up crickets for a bit, but I wanted to do that anyway. I started buying them again recently and haven't seen any ants
I put one in each room of my apartment and about 8 of them in my bedroom where the animals are. This is also where my crickets were that attracted the ants. The ants swarmed in and killed my crickets. It was unsettling. That was my breaking point lol. I also bought a bunch of sticky traps:
I put these all around my cages and roach bins to try and deter any poisoned ants from making their way into any cages. The ants seemed to leave the roaches alone though and were only interested in the crickets. I think this is because they are repelled by orange oil and both of my roach bins had orange slices in them.
Outside I used Raid Outdoor Ant Spikes
and Raid Max Bug Barrier
I was worried about using anything inside but the ant baits seemed to work really well. I haven't lost any animals. My roach colony is still alive and breeding. I had to give up crickets for a bit, but I wanted to do that anyway. I started buying them again recently and haven't seen any ants
Syn
Avid Member
Update: Just been spraying where I can and putting down powder where I can't spray.. thought it was working great until suddenly there's four different ant hits coming from the concrete on the side of the house.. so this tells me they are coming from under the house.... ever since they cleared the desert lot next to the park I live at they have just become a bigger and bigger problem..... I wish there was something I could do to make the people who messed with the lot pay to get rid of the ants under the house....
Elizadolots
New Member
Can you pound Ant Stakes into the ground around your home? If so, I'd get some and start pounding.
serenitystarlite
Established Member
Sorry I didn't get to reply earlier, it's been a busy week
The ant stakes and ant baits should kill the colony if it's under your house. The bug barrier will kill anything that comes in contact with it. If you don't have any free roaming critters, you could probably spray it inside. I sprayed it outside my apartment over a month ago and I'm still finding dead bugs along where I sprayed it lol. I have 2 cats, but I sprayed it a little in the kitchen and it doesn't have any scent (I have a chemical sensitivity). The stakes and baits should attract the ants to them, at least they're supposed to.
Another thing I used to do when I lived in Florida and had a ton of ants there was to sprinkle sugar mixed with boric powder around the perimeter of the house to attract the ants outside and kill them there.
Good luck!
The ant stakes and ant baits should kill the colony if it's under your house. The bug barrier will kill anything that comes in contact with it. If you don't have any free roaming critters, you could probably spray it inside. I sprayed it outside my apartment over a month ago and I'm still finding dead bugs along where I sprayed it lol. I have 2 cats, but I sprayed it a little in the kitchen and it doesn't have any scent (I have a chemical sensitivity). The stakes and baits should attract the ants to them, at least they're supposed to.
Another thing I used to do when I lived in Florida and had a ton of ants there was to sprinkle sugar mixed with boric powder around the perimeter of the house to attract the ants outside and kill them there.
Good luck!
Elizadolots
New Member
This may be a time to resort to the old fashioned PHONE. Call the stores close to you and ask if they have what you want. Trust me, stores will ignore 25 people with money in their hands ready to buy stuff to answer a question from someone on the phone....My guess would be WalMart will have them, so maybe call them first.
Elizadolots
New Member
You can find the local yellow pages on the internet...
dodolah
Retired Moderator
Syn, i am not sure if someone has mentioned this (I admittedly did not read the whole thread)..
But, your steinernema feltiae can also help. There is another nematodes that far more active than feltiae.
If you can find in your backyard where the ants' nest is.. then in the morning, early time before the sun comes up, pour that left over steinernema solution into the nest.
The nematodes will infect the whole colony pretty soon. It's slow solution.. but, it probably work best in the long run.
)..But, your steinernema feltiae can also help. There is another nematodes that far more active than feltiae.
If you can find in your backyard where the ants' nest is.. then in the morning, early time before the sun comes up, pour that left over steinernema solution into the nest.
The nematodes will infect the whole colony pretty soon. It's slow solution.. but, it probably work best in the long run.
