Attack !!

[CalaMala]

So I keep my crickets outside on my porch. They are in a 10 gallon fish tank with mesh top. I just got a shipment in of 500 and got them all situated.
Next thing I know ATTACK. The whole tank was invaded by red ants. They killed every last cricket. Some were being carried off whole, some in pieces, some were just left for dead!!
How can I prevent this other then bringing them in the house and listening to them ALL day and night??? So far mine have not started to stink, but I only order as needed and clean out the yukky yuks every other day. So oddly the smell is not the problem but my goodness they are annoying! Any suggestions.


damn ants........can I feed them to my cham? hehehe

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Oh that sucks! I don't think you'll be able to salvage much from this batch but in the future if you can put the tank in something with shallow water all the way around the bottom the ants won't be able to get back to it. I did that around my cat's food bowl when I had an ant infestation and none made it across the moat! They drown super easy. Sorry you lost a whole batch!

 

[laurie]

You can put the tank in a larger container with water all the way around your crickets. I have HEARD that ants won't/can't cross the water barrier.

 

[James45]

could always buy Pre-wing crickets cuts down on the chirping till they molt into their wings and keep them inside.

 

[Monzon]

...or keep roaches inside.

 

[Ekaj13]

Don't feed the ants.

Water doesn't work on ants in my area, they make a bridge, it's actually really cool.

I actually like the sound of crickets and it gets too hot to keep them outside.

 

[CalaMala]

EEKK I don't know what it is about roaches but YUKKKK! lol

My son picked these crickets up from a local pet shop, they are bigger then I was getting and noisy...can I pull their wings off til the next batch comes in?

And the mote idea sounds like it just might be the perfect solution....Thanx!

My husband suggested spraying ant killer along the edges of the tank and the screen. I think I must have given him a crazy look cuz he just looked back at me and chuckled and said "What?? It won't hurt Sayid, he isn't anywhere near this tank." I pinched him in his arm skin and made him go away...

 

[CalaMala]

Don't feed the ants.

Water doesn't work on ants in my area, they make a bridge, it's actually really cool.

I actually like the sound of crickets and it gets too hot to keep them outside.

lol....don't feed the ants to my cham or don't feed the ants my crickets??? lol

I don't mind the sound until it hasn't stopped EVER for two days!

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

I can't stand the sound either! It's only nice if it's just one out in the wilderness. Once it's hundreds chirping in my room I start throwing things at them! You can cut the wings off (easier than tearing them off) but it will take forever if you have 500...

Ants making bridges...kinda creepy but I bet that's cool to watch!

 

[Ekaj13]

lol....don't feed the ants to my cham or don't feed the ants my crickets??? lol

... Both! =P

 

[melric]

Oh that sucks! I don't think you'll be able to salvage much from this batch but in the future if you can put the tank in something with shallow water all the way around the bottom the ants won't be able to get back to it. I did that around my cat's food bowl when I had an ant infestation and none made it across the moat! They drown super easy. Sorry you lost a whole batch!

You can put the tank in a larger container with water all the way around your crickets. I have HEARD that ants won't/can't cross the water barrier.

That's exactly what I had to do for my silkworms. And when those get attacked it is not pretty.

 

[ponders]

I use anti-mite paper under my tanks of ants and dubia.

 

[ponders]

Wait, I didn't mean I have tanks of ants LOL I meant crickets!

 

[CalaMala]

Wait, I didn't mean I have tanks of ants LOL I meant crickets!

lol
I am trying it this weekend

 

[drcrossfire]

Did you get any photos of the raid?

 

[chickenleg77]

How big are your ants? I find that amazing thatthey carried off your crickets our ants are tiny in the uk.
I had a large cricket at large in my cricket for 2 days it tormented me with it's sound every now and then the mrs would shout out to me what's all that noise "nothing dear" as me and this cricket are playing cat and mouse. I finally won but if the mrs had found out we bad a fugitive In the house it would of been me and her playing cat and mouse ms being the mouse lol

 

[CalaMala]

Did you get any photos of the raid?

No, no pictures but maybe of them drawning later....

How big are your ants? I find that amazing thatthey carried off your crickets our ants are tiny in the uk.
I had a large cricket at large in my cricket for 2 days it tormented me with it's sound every now and then the mrs would shout out to me what's all that noise "nothing dear" as me and this cricket are playing cat and mouse. I finally won but if the mrs had found out we bad a fugitive In the house it would of been me and her playing cat and mouse ms being the mouse lol

We have tiny ones to but where I live in Florida they vary from all sizes. These were about 1/2 in long or so...carpenter ants. The largest I have seen is the cow killer or bull ant....thaat thing is a beast and hurt like hell when they sting you, specially between the toes!

Well I am going away for the weekend, so hopefully my son will feed all these noisey ones to my Cham and I will buy quieter ones for the new batch!!!

 

[summoner12]

i think you can use babking soda powder around the tank?

 

[Elizadolots]

Water usually does work. You might want to check it every day just to make sure there are no construction projects going on (and, you can destroy their bridge!). You might wrap double sticky tape around the outside of the "moat" and about half way up the cricket keeper. They generally find that hard to cross. In combination that should do the trick.

Baking soda or even salt would also work in the moat, but if you have other pets, that presents the danger of fido chowing down and getting sick.