Are ants safe for Chams to eat?

[broderp]

We have a small problem with large carpenter ants this year at my home. Before they get worse and I spray the beginning of the infestation, are they good for Chams to eat?

These are nice large black ants. They don't seem to bite and rather tame.

Do I :

• Spray them and kill them
• Throw them in a plastic tub and feed them goodies so I can later dust them with Rapashy and feed them to Sherman?

My guess is kill them, but I just wanted to be sure I'm not missing out on a little treat for my little dude.

 

[Angelwolf]

I would think they would be ok to eat, but the thing is, you don't know where they have been, and what they have eaten. They may have ingested door come into contact with pesticides, and could poison your cham.

 

[Andee]

What part of your house are they eating? Are they eating treated woods? I agree with the pesticide comment as well. Also I don't know if it's true with carpenters but a lot of ant's have a nasty taste or other defense mechanisms. So be careful that you don't choose soldier ants of the colony because they will likely bite.

 

[distortionz]

Ants have a nasty bite.. I too have carpenter ants at the moment.. I've been making sure they can't get to my baby cages.. I've caught them carrying crickets through my house.. I'd be very careful.. Too many of them could do serious damage to a small animal

 

[JacksJill]

I've caught them carrying crickets through my house.. I'd be very careful.. Too many of them could do serious damage to a small animal

Yikes!

 

[kinyonga]

Carpenter ants do not eat wood...
https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/carpenter-ants/

Also...ants contain formic acid and it may not be good for chameleons.

 

[Andee]

Thanks for the info Kinyonga <3 *favorites* I want a colony of leaf cutters, a specific type found in Japan, but alas. My life is not that cool XD

 

[AZChamFan]

Also...ants contain formic acid and it may not be good for chameleons.

That's right. Might want to get a horned toad (lizard)!

 

[kinyonga]

• Leaf cutters are interesting but they/sting bite too.

 

[kinyonga]

Apparently at least one species eats ants...
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/172536/0

 

[broderp]

What part of your house are they eating? Are they eating treated woods? I agree with the pesticide comment as well. Also I don't know if it's true with carpenters but a lot of ant's have a nasty taste or other defense mechanisms. So be careful that you don't choose soldier ants of the colony because they will likely bite.

I don't know. They appear in random places. The bathroom, the kitchen, they are not limited to one area, almost as if they are lost or got separated from a convoy or something....

Well, I'm not sure I want to attempt it. I've seen 4-5 in the last week or two, definitely carpenter ants. I've had them crawl on my leg and picked them up, but never have been bitten. We had a lot of them a few years back, but never pinpointed the source. Spraying the base boards took care of them.

Guess I'll be spraying again soon before they get worse.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Andee]

• Leaf cutters are interesting but they/sting bite too.

Yes but I would be feeding the leaf cutters off, they would just be for my entertainment and for learning. Ants are amazing creatures. But annoying as hell when they get in the house of course. So mom likely won't let me have my ant colony, but I get my predator beetles whenever I have space so I am good with this ^^. Predator beetles are amazing. I would like to get local species as well as species like warriors and tigers from other states ^^