Ants!

[Nyx1900]

Whoever built this forsaken house 30 odd years ago did a pretty bang up job. The windows in my room are not sealed so of course ants, rose beetles, and other pest have found my home a home for themselves.
The rose beetles are not an issue so far I've killed them and they've not touched Thanatos.
The Ants who have decided to get into Thanatos' cage are my main concern. Although I live in Florida the ants that have decided to munch on Thanatos' greens are black, small sugar ants. I'm freaking out and I don't think Thanatos enjoys it either he's been rather dark which I read could be from stress(?). I think it may be I've been highly stressed as well trying to squish them allin his cage while he was sitting there, and Tristan(my 8 1/2 month infant) pulling on my legs the whole time was no help either.
I'm just curious if anyone else has had issues in the past with bugs in cages and I'd really like to know what to do. I'm in fear for Thanatos especially since he was malnutrished by his last owner and just got here two days ago!!!

Please for the loves of dragons help me?!

I'd just like to know how to deter them. I've already put cardboard and fabric over my windows sealed by duct tape( I know very poor way of appraoching this but I don't see how anything else will help).

 

[ArdorAndZeal1]

wow.

um... put glue traps around the base of your furniture, where ever the ants could climb up???

dont use any thing with fumes/pesticides as they can injury your BD particularly if one gets contaminated and your BD wants to eat it.

 

[RioReptiles]

I'm having the same problem, in FL and those tiny ants. Weird thing is that they have only found my temporary 10 gal for my baby. This time I wiped the outside glass with alchohol and moved it the 3rd time to my counter top. They have found my crickets before but have not found their way to either of the larger enclosures. I opened the windows yesterday with the weather cooling down, but I think there is stuff they sell in a small yellow bottle that they take back to the nest to destroy it. I also read you can mix borax with honey and use it until they disappear. I use borax a lot since it is not like spraying poison. I think the stuff in the yellow bottle is called Terro ? I'll be looking for some later and will take a pic if I find it. Cheryl

 

[ArdorAndZeal1]

wow... i would be so frusterated.

maybe out your crickets in a bigger enclosure and and have the cricekts in side a second enclosure?

 

[Nyx1900]

maybe out your crickets in a bigger enclosure and and have the cricekts in side a second enclosure?

I don't actually feed him crickets, but thank you if I did that would be an action to take!

 

[Luvmybeardie]

Hey!!! Bounce dryer sheets WILL work!!! The little bugers were coming in under my kitchen door. Lay them around his cage and you will have no more problems~!!!! You probably have some on hand!!!

 

[Nyx1900]

Bounce dryer sheets WILL work!!!

omh! didn't even think of that i will definitely put those down thanks!

 

[marsannam]

We have just set up a terrarium and already there are ants in the grape vine. By getting rid of the grape vine, will the ants be gone? or is there a way to get them out of the wood without getting rid of it? Also, by placing bounce dryer sheets around the tank, the numerous sheets (with alot of scent) won't affect the beardie, will it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[jscott]

ugh. ants always irritated me before but since i got bearded dragons i find myself coming home stressing out whether or not the tank will have ants in it.

i find the best thing to do is to keep anything sweet out of their cage during the day while your not home. feed them while your there to clean up any scraps. if you leave little pieces of sweet stuff in your cage the ants will come for it.

if your tank sits on a stand with legs you could try putting petroleum jelly around cirtain places on each leg. the ants could crawl up the wires so do the same on the wires; a little ring around one place on the wire to keep the ants from reaching your tank.

blah, ants... go away ants!

 

[sunkist]

If you are in a house, you can get some diazinon from the store and put it around the outside of your house. Just make a nice coating around the perimeter. It will keep the ants from crossing the line.

As for the inside, I like the ant traps that are just small back things from raid. There is no fume to them and the kids can get to the poison on the inside.