Help Ants trying to eat my snake!!!

[B-Rock]

Fed my girl last night. When the mouse was about half gone I noticed she had a couple of ants over her, probably came due to the smell of the mouse. Anyway, they then started to bite her, she looked to be very disturbed from the whole ordeal as they hurt me when only one bites me. I moved her to another spot so she could finish her meal in peace. So that was all fine.

I don't usually have a problem with ants this is the first time. My question is are there any poisons, such as dead ant that I can use that wont harm her if she comes in contact with it?

[Forensick]

what i usually do to avoid poisons... although still wouldn't do IN the enclosure.
find where they are coming through... cracks etc.
drip some sobasco sauce down there.
then mix bicarb soda with water and fill the gaps with that

works a treat.
no poisons, and cheaper than dead ant

[Fennwick]

something i use when ants eat the bird food in the avery, is to put talcum powder aroud the food bowl. maybe put a trail of powder around the enclosure.

[slim6y]

1) What type of ants are they? Most ants actually don't bite!

If they're green ants they are easy to control but involve a fair bit of manipulating of their nests.

What I would do is find their nest (very easy to locate) and then you have a safe choice and many unsafe choices.

a) Safe choice: Cut the branch the green tree ant nest is attached to as far back as reasonabley possible so you don't get continually bitten. The best bet is to use shears not a saw as this just aggrevates the little fellas. It is also far safer to have a large rubbish bin with lid directly under the nest so it falls safely into the bin and can be removed by the rubbish men later that day (preferably not week).

b) Unsafe choice 1: Douse nest in petrol, set on fire.

c) Unsafe choice 2: Make nest fall into large bucket of water, cook water slowly, drink this ant infusion. Apparently it tastes like peppermint tea.

2) What does talcum powder do for the ants?

If they're other type of ants, I have little experience with them, but I found the safe choice works very well on green ants!

[Chimera]

Originally Posted by slim6y

Make nest fall into large bucket of water, cook water slowly, drink this ant infusion.

Good for what ails ya

[Aussie Python Lover]

Maybe clean out the enclosure put your snake somewhere out of the way follow ants to nest and use ant rid its a sweet brown syrup they would use to take back to the nest and they seem to die really quick. Give the enclosure a real good clean out. Or maybe move it to a diffrent location. JMO

[whiteyluvsrum]

did you notice them before you put the food in? i would just give it a good clean out, take away whatever is attracting them.

[Ozzie Python]

i have an infestation of those tiny little black ants, i mixed up a sparay bottle with detol and water and sprayed it around all my window and door frames and i haven't seen many that make it into the house now. working really well for me.

[B-Rock]

Cheers everyone for your suggestions.

slim6y: they are black ants of some description and trust me they do bite. Thanks for the tea recipe though, lots of green ants around here.

Originally Posted by Fennwick

something i use when ants eat the bird food in the avery, is to put talcum powder aroud the food bowl. maybe put a trail of powder around the enclosure.

Talcum powder . Isn't that how you check if the easter bunny has been?

I have noticed that there are none in there now, so they must have just come as a result of the mouse. As for blocking up the holes ... they came though the vent at the back of the enclosure.

Are those ant poisons that make the ants take it back to the nest.any good?

[eladidare]

i have the same prob with little ants around my childrenii, i just put ant sand around the outside of the enclosure, it has worked so far.

[B-Rock]

Ant sand?

[Hoppa1874]

i have the same problem wif the ants getting into the enclosure.. but im sure they get in there for the water.. not to eat my snakes..hehe
I have used ant kill outside of the enclosure.. but now they wont go near it.. really smart ants...
i say..

[Anthony88]

Originally Posted by Chimera

Good for what ails ya

lol...

[Fennwick]

i dont know what talc powder actually does to them, but they wont cross it.

[slim6y]

Originally Posted by B-Rock

Cheers everyone for your suggestions.

slim6y: they are black ants of some description and trust me they do bite. Thanks for the tea recipe though, lots of green ants around here.



Talcum powder . Isn't that how you check if the easter bunny has been?

I have noticed that there are none in there now, so they must have just come as a result of the mouse. As for blocking up the holes ... they came though the vent at the back of the enclosure.

Are those ant poisons that make the ants take it back to the nest.any good?

Mostly yes - but I don't know if the large bitey black ants take to those baits.

I know green ants don't.

I find the bait stations are the best for the common house ants - nothing but the ants get into it. Contains some borate of some description.

Anyhow, good luck!

Enjoy the green ant tea!