# Will Ants Hurt My Sulcata?



## Tortoise Man (Jun 25, 2015)

Hi. I have made a nighttime box that I put inside. The purpose of this is to bring my tortoise in at night. I put him in and he goes right to sleep. Then in the morning, I put him back outside. Anyway, The substrate that I put in the box seems to have TINY ants. I guess there is not a lot of ants, but that is just what I can see. Will the ants hurt my tortoise. Thanks for the help!!


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## Yvonne G (Jun 25, 2015)

Some types of ant will harm tortoises. If they are the biting kind, yes they could kill your tortoise. Black ants usually go after the food and not the tortoise.


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## Tortoise Man (Jun 25, 2015)

I can't really tell by looking at them. I guess the only SURE way to tell is to let one go on my finger and see if it bites me! Thanks


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## Careym13 (Jun 25, 2015)

Get some FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous earth and sprinkle it wherever the ants are. When I had ants I did that and they were gone in 48 hours.


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## mike taylor (Jun 25, 2015)

Or just water the crap out of your tortoise enclosures daily . The ants don't like it and move out .


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (Jun 25, 2015)

Careym13 said:


> Get some FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous earth and sprinkle it wherever the ants are. When I had ants I did that and they were gone in 48 hours.


But it don't work if it gets wet !


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## Tortoise Man (Jun 25, 2015)

Ok thanks for the help!!


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (Jun 25, 2015)

So what I do is ( you know the little cups they put hot Sause in for your "to go diners " ) I put a teaspoon of powder and a single cat food pellet in the cup and punch a whole in the lid so the ants can get in the cup for the cat food and they get the powder on them


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## Tortoise Man (Jun 25, 2015)

That sound like a GREAT technique. Thanks for your help.


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## Joo (Jun 25, 2015)

Ants hates garlic. Chop up some and sprinkle outside the box.


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## Killerrookie (Jun 25, 2015)

Joo said:


> Ants hates garlic. Chop up some and sprinkle outside the box.


That's how my parents keep me out of the kitchen  .


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## dmmj (Jun 25, 2015)

Ants can kill.
Use DE food grade,or boric acid.


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## JoesMum (Jun 26, 2015)

dmmj said:


> Ants can kill.
> Use DE food grade,or boric acid.


Some ants can kill. Many/most do not. If your ants locally have a reputation for giving you something more than an itchy nip then maybe there's a problem, but otherwise they're an itrritation for you and probably barely noticed by your tort.

Food grade DE is the way to control them whatever.


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## Tortoise Man (Jun 26, 2015)

Ok. Thanks for everyones help. I will be using all these techniques asap.


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