Ants

[Ramrod]

This morning I woke up to an ant invasion in the chams cage. First time this has happened. Guess they were after the moisture in the plants as we have had some hot weather here. Any ideas how to prevent this reoccurring without putting the cham in danger. I hate those tiny black ants so I sucked them up in my Hoover ant eater.

 

[GoodKarma19]

I'd place a couple ant traps around the outside of the cage. That ought to handle it!

 

[JacksJill]

If you can figure out where they are coming into the house pack that area with diatomaceous earth and put out the bait traps as well. Some species of ants will attack chameleons in their sleep.

 

[timw1]

I'd place a couple ant traps around the outside of the cage. That ought to handle it!

Be careful what kind of ant traps you use. If you use poison, the ants may ingest it and travel into the cham enclosure. You don't want your cham to eat the ants who are full of poison.

 

[Jevin]

Honestly the safest and most effective way to protect your cham would be to to do as @JacksJill said, as well as make a perimeter around the base of your cage or stand. Diatomaceous earth basically will kill almost any small insect or invertebrate that crawls or slithers.

 

[JacksJill]

It is also non toxic.

 

[jamest0o0]

Liquid terra traps, just find where they're coming and let them work their magic. They're not dangerous

 

[Ramrod]

Good tips and thanks to all. Think I will go with the D.E. as we have a pool and it's available.

 

[JacksJill]

It's death by a thousand cuts for the ants but that is better than death by a thousand bites for your chameleon.

 

[jamest0o0]

Btw check plants for aphids, ants are drawn to plants usually because of aphid and other pests that drop the sap

 

[Jevin]

Just popped into my head lol

 

[ZEROPILOT]

My biggest concern is that a cricket eats the ant bait and then a cham eats the cricket.
I'm looking for the traps!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Btw check plants for aphids, ants are drawn to plants usually because of aphid and other pests that drop the sap

It looks like mine hitched a ride in a potted plant or two.
Tiny but there are zillions of them.

 

[Reptofreak]

It looks like mine hitched a ride in a potted plant or two.
Tiny but there are zillions of them.

Use diatomaceous earth, it’s nontoxic.

Diatomaceous earth causes insects to dry out and die by absorbing the oils and fats from the cuticle of the insect's exoskeleton. Its sharp edges are abrasive, speeding up the process.

Bill

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I've used food grade DE in the past.
Mostly, insects just walk around it if they can.
Also, it clumps up and is less effective when wet and my ants are in damp areas.
Otherwise I'm a huge fan
In fact, I had my attic/crawl space totally dusted with it a few years ago as an anti roach and termite treatment.
It looks like Christmas up there.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I used alcohol in a spray bottle and misted everything lightly with 93% isopropyl.
Then after a few minutes, I rinsed off everything with water. Lots of water.
I see no ants.
Hopefully with ant traps and baits and the perimeters of the room treated. I can keep on top of the situation.
I'll keep my chams outdoors for a few days to let the enclosures dry up good.

 

[cyberlocc]

Hate to bump an old post, but its not that old.

How did this work out for you? I am at my wits end with Ants.

EDIT:

Ya I got ants bad. I have to teardown and destroy my viv at this point, but its out of control bad. They dont bother the Cham, but its bad, like really bad.

This really sucks.


So now I need to find, or build some kind of Cage. I want "Glass Like" but not Glass, and Dragonstrand new Line is not out (the breeder cages) they would still need modified anyway though, this is a mess!

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Hate to bump an old post, but its not that old.

How did this work out for you? I am at my wits end with Ants.

EDIT:

Ya I got ants bad. I have to teardown and destroy my viv at this point, but its out of control bad. They dont bother the Cham, but its bad, like really bad.

This really sucks.


So now I need to find, or build some kind of Cage. I want "Glass Like" but not Glass, and Dragonstrand new Line is not out (the breeder cages) they would still need modified anyway though, this is a mess!

What kind of ants? Post pictures.

That said if they are nesting in the cage, then yes you have to completely redo it.

Also vinegar can be used to wipe out their pheromone trails as well.

 

[cyberlocc]

What kind of ants? Post pictures.

That said if they are nesting in the cage, then yes you have to completely redo it.

Also vinegar can be used to wipe out their pheromone trails as well.

I'm not positive they are nesting yet, but they are in there in mass.

They are Odorous House Ants, tiny, black smell like mint when you squish them.

I edited out too much before lol. They are in the wall, as is obvious by the fact that they come in and out of some screw holes above the viv. I set up 4 of the liquid traps, put DE down, put double sided tape down, nothing is stopping them. Its been going on for a long time, but they use to be under control, there was only ever like 10-15 ants at any given time and they never bother the cham.

Now there is a lot, its not getting better, its getting worse. This is Compacted by the fact, that the Viv is made of a 2x2 skelton with 1/4 inch plywood on each side, is 4ft wide 6 feet tall, and 2 feet deep, with 48inch tall 25 inch wide 1/4 tempered glass doors and the walls are all lined with cork bark panels, it took an entire case (12 panels) to do that. The thing weighs, easily 300-400lbs. It takes 2 people to even slide it over a little bit from the wall, so "Move it away from the ants" is not possible.

Its way overkill for a panther anyway, so at this point I am looking at just complete demolition. I am building a reptile room, that this will take up too much space in anyway, so I been thinning about downsizing this cage, and sell this bare to someone with a bigger animal. Or keeping it for a living room showpiece for something that needs the space.


Also seeing their nesting habits on line, plus what they are doing in our home. This cage is built perfectly for them to nest in.... Its built like a house is framed, except it has 2x2s instead of 2x4s, and it has 1/4 plywood instead of drywall, same design prinicple though, the cork is then screwed in to place on the inner walls. Over engineered it, to the point where it is the perfect home for this ants...

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

I'm not positive they are nesting yet, but they are in there in mass.

They are Odorous House Ants, tiny, black smell like mint when you squish them.

I edited out too much before lol. They are in the wall, as is obvious by the fact that they come in and out of some screw holes above the viv. I set up 4 of the liquid traps, put DE down, put double sided tape down, nothing is stopping them. Its been going on for a long time, but they use to be under control, there was only ever like 10-15 ants at any given time and they never bother the cham.

Now there is a lot, its not getting better, its getting worse. This is Compacted by the fact, that the Viv is made of a 2x2 skelton with 1/4 inch plywood on each side, is 4ft wide 6 feet tall, and 2 feet deep, with 48inch tall 25 inch wide 1/4 tempered glass doors and the walls are all lined with cork bark panels, it took an entire case (12 panels) to do that. The thing weighs, easily 300-400lbs. It takes 2 people to even slide it over a little bit from the wall, so "Move it away from the ants" is not possible.

Its way overkill for a panther anyway, so at this point I am looking at just complete demolition. I am building a reptile room, that this will take up too much space in anyway, so I been thinning about downsizing this cage, and sell this bare to someone with a bigger animal. Or keeping it for a living room showpiece for something that needs the space.


Also seeing their nesting habits on line, plus what they are doing in our home. This cage is built perfectly for them to nest in.... Its built like a house is framed, except it has 2x2s instead of 2x4s, and it has 1/4 plywood instead of drywall, same design prinicple though, the cork is then screwed in to place on the inner walls. Over engineered it, to the point where it is the perfect home for this ants...

Well on the positive side they aren't a threat to healthy chams, on the downside your not getting rid of them anytime soon. And given multiple queens work together they grow fast. And if they are in there in mass, then they are nesting, ants will move their colony if they find better locations

Scrap your cage, or keep it on the dry side, wipe around the cage with vinegar, and clean up un eaten food regularly. That's about all you can do, short of insecticides