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Ant Invasion! Please Help
#1
little ants have invaded my viv! they are dragging out all of the fruit flies and my pumilio has resorted to sitting on the leafage in the tank. Im a newbie that just inherited this viv so im kinda worried!
What do i do? i moved the tank to the middle of my room so it is safe for now, but what do i do long term?
it doesnt have a sealed top, should i look into that? plz help!

(on a side note, its interesting watching the ants drag out the live ff, they are pretty skilled and efficient.... too bad they are in my tank!)
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#2
First of all...what kind of ants are they. If you can identify them, you can determine if they produce formic acid or not. If they do not, then your pums will eat them.

Secondly, you have to find out where they are coming from ASAP. Follow the trail back to the nest if you can. You'll need to buy some ant traps or boric acid and kill them and the nest. Or if they are coming from outside, you may be able to seal the way they are coming in.

Keep the tank away from where they are coming from first (as you have already done), and make sure no more get inside.

What do you mean by sealed top? What do you have now?

Luke
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#3
I posted a pic of my viv in 'newbies' section. The ants go into the tank and collect the ff and bring them outside the tank. Im not sure what kind of ants they are and couldnt get a good picture of them. I think im going to have to move the viv into another room. thanks!
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#4
your tank looks small enough to move easily, so you might find a way to put a moat around it. depending on the size, maybe you could use a cafeteria tray or something similar to hold water, then set your viv in the middle of the tray raised up on a board resting on bricks or whatever. this will give the quick fix, so that no ants can enter the viv. this might be especially useful if you plan on going after the ants...you wouldn't want the ants to track whatever you use to fight ants into the viv.
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#5
thanks for the idea, i moved the tank to the other side of my room, away from the wall that touches the outside and things look fine now. Ill make a makeshift moat for it as well! i am probably going to redo my viv, and add a mister...not too sure if thats a good idea or not, i just dont want to have to keep spraying the tank couple times a day. i took some pics of the ants collecting the ff, they caught about 20 or so and ill post em, its pretty cool(if it wasnt my tank)
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#6
This is the same reason I stopped keeping Tree frogs at one point and started keeping Monitors. I use to get invasions of black piss ants in my cricket culture and in my viv. For my cricket culture I used the moat method. My viv was to big for a moat. I sprinkled diatomaceous earth all around the outside. Very messy. Ant climb cords. The cord will have to be completley covered at one point. I suggest a moat under the tank. Either elevate the light or place the a small section of the cord in a container when you can cover it in D.E. you will have to situate where it will not touch the sides of the container. Good luck.
http://www.diatomaceous-earth.net/
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#7
How about putting two sided carpet tape or fly wallpaper on the outside of the bottom of the tank. I would think that this would keep the ants from going into your tank. It could even be put on any cords that go into the tank (on the outside of the tank). It might not look pretty but it might kill and trap some of the ants.
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