Attack Of The Black Ants

[BloodRunsCold]

hey all got me a little problem got some black ants every day coming through the walls of my upstairs herp area dont know where they come from but they always seem to be hanging around my black soils and angle heads worry they might carry them away figuritively speaking that is i heard they can be toxic if eaten but i dont think my guys are any way is there a non toxic method of ridding them starting to annoy me thanx

 

[disintegratus]

Someone will have to confirm or dispute this, because I'm just going off hearsay, but I think you can run a ring of ant sand around the enclosures? As far as I know, it works as a deterrant, though it's been many many years since I used ant sand, so I could be completely wrong and it may be a straight out poison, in which case I'd definitely NOT recommend you use it.
I do know that salt works wonders, the ants can't cross it, so if you run a ring of salt around the enclosure it has the same effect. However, salt ruins everything and is super annoying. I used it on a bedroom window of mine years ago, the ants were coming in through my window, then going into the rest of the house. Worked a treat on the ants, but eventually I had to replace the windowframe because the salt screwed up the paint, then moisture got in and rotted it out. Such a pain.

 

[user 30368]

i'm having the same issue myself. They are after the moisture from water bowls (and scraps of food if its around). If you dont like the idea of poisons, talk powder works a treat. I have a ring of it around my cricket tub as they are attracted to the cricket's gut load. Ants refuse to walk on the stuff. I have also surfaced sprayed all out door windows, cracks and holes. Seems to have worked.

 

[Bluetongue1]

The problem is there are an awful lot of different ant species that can be described as "black". You can collect half a dozen, at least one of each type if there is more than one type present, using sticky tape, pop it in an enveloppe and send it off to your nearest branch of the Dept.of Agriculture. They will identify it for you, free of charge, and recommend the most effect method of control.

I have have had tiny black ants attack and kill small dragons. So I would maintain my vigilance if I were you, until the problem is resolved. They may not be a danger but there is a potential there.

If you wish to try something straight away, you can buy a couple of dispensers of Ant Rid from Bunnings or similar for $6 to $7 dollars. Just put it on some stiff plastic in front of where the ants are coming from. For the outlay it is at least worth a try. Some species become suspcious of baits and will stop eating them and no longer take it back to the nest to kill the queens. This is where the Ag Dept ID and recoimmendations come to the fore.

Rather than salt, try slightly crushed fresh mint. Most ants do not like it at all. People often plant Pennroyal or Corsican Mint where the keep their garbage bin to keep the ants out.

Blue

 

[Paintbrushturkey]

To my knowledge there is not a single ant species that is poisonous (venomous yes poisonous no), so there shoudl be no problems if the lizards ingest the ants, a ring of diatomic earth should take care of them(provided they cannot use powercords or other paths to access the cage, however getting them id'ed is certainly not a bad move

 

[montysrainbow]

cucumber peels apparently scattered around will shoo the ants away. I googled it lol and have yet to try but they say it works so worth a shot.

I am going to try some salt and fresh mint too as blue suggested

 

[littlemay]

I had ants coming through my window recently, i scrubbed the hell out of the sill with diluted vinegar & citrus solution to destroy the scent trails, then used talcum powder on the little entrance they were using to get in. Day 3, no ants

 

[mad_at_arms]

peppermint essence with water in spray bottle is an effective deterrant.

 

[Ambush]

Talcum Powder
Ants are on the move in search of food.
Also ants = No Termites

 

[TA1PAN]

I placed the small black ant baits on window sills within a week all ants were gone.

 

[pythonmum]

I sprayed Top of Descent on the floor around the enclosures. Not natural, but very effective and was handy when I noticed the unwanted invaders. I have never had to use ToD for mites, but it is great for making sure that branches are truly bug free before putting them into an enclosure (spray, then wait a few days and wash off the branch before putting it into the enclosure).