Ant found in tort table, dangerous?

[John Franzwa]

Please don't argue

 

[Tom]

I have no idea who knows what. Everything is new to everyone at some point.

If you want to put down ant traps as a preventative, that's fine. In my experience they don't work very well, but they also don't hurt anything, so go right ahead if it makes you feel better.

I'd like to see what data you are referring to...where one single random ant in the morning resulted in the death of a tortoise by the afternoon. I can't, off the top of my head, even come up with extenuating circumstances that would lead to that.

Now I have to ask. Are you always so rude? If you'd rather I left the forum, just ask me to, and I'll consider it.

I've not been rude to you in any way. I'm just having a conversation. I have no desire for you to leave the forum. Quite the contrary, I usually enjoy reading your posts and info.

What you are doing here in this thread is not good though and it needs to be pointed out for the sake of people's tortoises. Just because the ants in your neck of the woods have not been a problem, does not mean that all ant species in all climates will follow suit. Ants kill a lot of tortoises every year largely because most people take the attitude that you are promoting here. "Ahh. Its just one little harmless ant. Its no big deal…" My issue here, my argument, is that ants ARE a big deal. I've had many animals come under attack over the years, and yes, it happens very suddenly and within a few hours. Anyone from a warmer climate can verify what I'm saying. I see and hear about it regularly. I have at least three species here that will attack living animals. Ignoring those scouts, as you are advising, can lead to an invasion in a matter of hours.

This is like the person in Hawaii, telling everyone its fine to leave their tortoises out over night because they do it and their tortoises are fine.

I can't sit back and let bad advice stand. I just can't. If you take that as rude, I apologize to you. Its not intended to be rude, its intended to get a simple point across.

 

[JoesMum]

@Tom I think most people have seen and agree with your advice that some ants can be a serious issue.

This thread is about an indoor problem:

Where a single ant has been found indoors, it may have been brought in on clothing or footwear, there is not a specific issue regardless of ant species. Kill it and be alert for more.

If more are found indoors, few people will want them, regardless of species, and finding the source and dealing with the problem with ant bait / diatomaceous earth is the way to go.

Outdoors there will be a colony to find and your actions depend on the ants in your area.

Clearly SoCal ants can be awful and you deal with them immediately. Here in the UK they're not so bad and I only deal with them if they're being a problem - like a nest in Joe's cold frame that had to go last year.

Now I think we all need to take a deep breath and move on.

 

[Tom]

This thread is about an indoor problem:

Where a single ant has been found indoors, it may have been brought in on clothing or footwear, there is not a specific issue regardless of ant species. Kill it and be alert for more.

If more are found indoors, few people will want them, regardless of species, and finding the source and dealing with the problem with ant bait / diatomaceous earth is the way to go.

Outdoors there will be a colony to find and your actions depend on the ants in your area.

This has nothing to do with indoors or outdoors. I've had caged reptiles attacked indoors more than out.

My point is simple. If a single ant is found, immediate action should be taken. The area should be searched for more, and some sort of preventative measure should be employed. The enclosure should be checked and re-checked every hour or so.

Telling readers that its probably just one ant that hitch-hiked in on someones clothing, is a good way to invite disaster. A disaster that some people may not have seen and experienced yet, but I have. I also used to think it was no big deal. Until I learned what a big deal it really is. This is no different than the arguments about coil bulbs, ramped water bowls, mixing species, or putting tortoises on the floor. Generally speaking, the more experience a person has, the more tortoise and other reptiles they've kept over more years, the more they will understand what can go wrong. You take a person with one tortoise in a cold climate, and their outlook will likely mirror yours or Rue's. Talk to a breeder in FL or AZ with hundreds of animals, and you will get a different picture. Lose an animal to one of the aforementioned problems, and you will take it more seriously, and you will also try to warn others to prevent them from having to learn what you have learned the hard way.

I fight ant infestation on a regular basis. Every attack started with a single ant scout "discovering" one of my enclosures.

 

[Tom]

I don't know why the above post is green… I didn't mean to do that. {Shrugs shoulders…}

 

[Yvonne G]

Ok, it's time to let it go. You've each made your point. This back and forth, saying the same thing each time, is what leads to arguments. Please stop now, or the thread will be closed.

 

[Tom]

Ok, it's time to let it go. You've each made your point. This back and forth, saying the same thing each time, is what leads to arguments. Please stop now, or the thread will be closed.

I don't think we are saying the same thing Yvonne. Joe's Mum's post above seemed to indicate that she didn't think this was a problem, or as big of a problem, indoors. I wanted to point out that is probably more of a problem indoors.

Discussions like this are how people learn. What is a new person to think when several seemingly experienced members have told them that a potentially serious issue is probably no big deal? I feel it is important that the discussion be had and that each side explains their point of view. Its unfortunate that one member sees this sort of discussion and disagreement as "rude", but the point still needs to be made.

Do you disagree?

 

[dmmj]

a moderator has made a request to stop the back and forth between everyone about how dangerous ants are or not everybody has had their say drop it now please

 

[John Franzwa]

How can I close the thread this is getting out of hand

 

[JoesMum]

How can I close the thread this is getting out of hand

Don't worry, it's stopped

 

[John Franzwa]

Ok, it's time to let it go. You've each made your point. This back and forth, saying the same thing each time, is what leads to arguments. Please stop now, or the thread will be closed.

I had no intention on making people argue, if you can close this thread please do, I don't want to see people argue anymore because of a question I asked.

 

[jaizei]

I had no intention on making people argue, if you can close this thread please do, I don't want to see people argue anymore because of a question I asked.

Done