Ants

Yvonne G

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Jan 23, 2008
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93,405
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Here are a few home remedies I've accumulated over the years:

Several Home-made Ant Remedies


1 – Boric Acid

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of Boric Acid, 1 tsp of Sugar, 4 oz water, Cotton Balls.

Mix Boric Acid and Sugar in a bowl. This can be poured over a cotton wad in

a small dish or bottle cap. Keep this from drying out for continued

effectiveness. Place Cotton balls in path of Ants. If the ants are drawn to sugar, if you make a solution of boric acid and sugar, not too much boric acid initially, the ants will eat it up take it to their young and feed it to them. This method will kill the entire nest in about two weeks. The solution should initially be weak because you don't want them to taste the boric acid and you don't want to kill the ants before they feed the rest of the nest. If they are protein eating ants mix the boric acid in broth.



2 – Another Boric Acid


>> 1 teaspoon boric acid (available at any drug store,, $2.99 for 4 oz) 6 tablespoons sugar

>> 2 cups water

>> mix together in a jar till all dissolved,, label and store safely.

>>Soak a few cotton balls with it, then put them in a small, covered plastic >container (margarine or <?>) with a few small openings in it for the ants to >get in, (I also put a brick on top so other curious creatures could not get >in)and then freshen it 1-2 times a week.

>> This is a slow acting 1 percent solution to get them to take some back to

>> the nest and even feed the queen :>

>>after a few weeks changing to a 1/2 percent solution should keep them gone.


3 - bacon grease

....in a margarine tub which is sunk into the ground level. The ants here can smell animal fat from what seems like a mile away...Around the outside of the margarine tub I place a big circle of boric acid...and cover it with a rock. The ants have to walk through the boric acid to get to the bacon grease, then back through it on the way out. If they get back to the nest carrying it on their legs, it kills whatever it comes into contact with. We have 4or 5 species of ants here...two of which are lethal!


4 - Found this in Jerry Bakers stuff

Ant Ambrosia

4-5 tbsp. of cornmeal

3 tbsp. of bacon grease

3 tbsp. of baking powder

3 packages of baker's yeast


Mix the cornmeal and bacon grease into a paste, then add the baking powder and yeast. Dab the gooey mix on the sides of jar lids, and set them near the anthills. The pesky critters will love it to death!!""



5 - If you can't find Everclear, liquefy orange peels and pour it around the ant hills. You may get fruit flies, but you won't have any trouble with ants!


6 - I have a friend that put a circle of diatomaceous earth around her aviaries and

effectively kept the ants out that way. She also uses it to directly attack any hills in the area.


7 - I believe that the "new age chalk" is a combination of diatomaceous earth and boric acid. Boric acid is the major component in "Roach Proof" and is a fairly benign and very effective means of insect control.


8 - Amdro is another effective treatment, but it is an actual poison, but safer than others. Both Amdro and Logic are baits that the ants pick up and take into the mound so that the queen eats it.


9 - (this one's from Tortoise Forum Member, Loni: I had a yard that was half fire ant hill because there were a lot of fruit trees. I used the "erupting volcano" recipe from the kids science fairs. Sprinkle the ant hill liberally with baking soda and then pour concentrated white vinegar (from Home Depot, etc not food grade) on it. The resulting foam is acidic and follows their tunnels into the nest itself and kills them. Then water heavily to disperse the residue when it is done. Didn't have tortoises at the time but was safe for dogs and cats.
 

Changa

Active Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2018
Messages
152
Location (City and/or State)
Ca
Here are a few home remedies I've accumulated over the years: Hey neighbor (Selma,ca)love this
We moved to the country because of my husband work
We have alot of ants i cant seem to get rid of
I haven't moved the Sully outside, yet.we are in the in the planning stages and this another question


Several Home-made Ant Remedies


1 – Boric Acid

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of Boric Acid, 1 tsp of Sugar, 4 oz water, Cotton Balls.

Mix Boric Acid and Sugar in a bowl. This can be poured over a cotton wad in

a small dish or bottle cap. Keep this from drying out for continued

effectiveness. Place Cotton balls in path of Ants. If the ants are drawn to sugar, if you make a solution of boric acid and sugar, not too much boric acid initially, the ants will eat it up take it to their young and feed it to them. This method will kill the entire nest in about two weeks. The solution should initially be weak because you don't want them to taste the boric acid and you don't want to kill the ants before they feed the rest of the nest. If they are protein eating ants mix the boric acid in broth.



2 – Another Boric Acid


>> 1 teaspoon boric acid (available at any drug store,, $2.99 for 4 oz) 6 tablespoons sugar

>> 2 cups water

>> mix together in a jar till all dissolved,, label and store safely.

>>Soak a few cotton balls with it, then put them in a small, covered plastic >container (margarine or <?>) with a few small openings in it for the ants to >get in, (I also put a brick on top so other curious creatures could not get >in)and then freshen it 1-2 times a week.

>> This is a slow acting 1 percent solution to get them to take some back to

>> the nest and even feed the queen :>

>>after a few weeks changing to a 1/2 percent solution should keep them gone.


3 - bacon grease

....in a margarine tub which is sunk into the ground level. The ants here can smell animal fat from what seems like a mile away...Around the outside of the margarine tub I place a big circle of boric acid...and cover it with a rock. The ants have to walk through the boric acid to get to the bacon grease, then back through it on the way out. If they get back to the nest carrying it on their legs, it kills whatever it comes into contact with. We have 4or 5 species of ants here...two of which are lethal!


4 - Found this in Jerry Bakers stuff

Ant Ambrosia

4-5 tbsp. of cornmeal

3 tbsp. of bacon grease

3 tbsp. of baking powder

3 packages of baker's yeast


Mix the cornmeal and bacon grease into a paste, then add the baking powder and yeast. Dab the gooey mix on the sides of jar lids, and set them near the anthills. The pesky critters will love it to death!!""



5 - If you can't find Everclear, liquefy orange peels and pour it around the ant hills. You may get fruit flies, but you won't have any trouble with ants!


6 - I have a friend that put a circle of diatomaceous earth around her aviaries and

effectively kept the ants out that way. She also uses it to directly attack any hills in the area.


7 - I believe that the "new age chalk" is a combination of diatomaceous earth and boric acid. Boric acid is the major component in "Roach Proof" and is a fairly benign and very effective means of insect control.


8 - Amdro is another effective treatment, but it is an actual poison, but safer than others. Both Amdro and Logic are baits that the ants pick up and take into the mound so that the queen eats it.


9 - (this one's from Tortoise Forum Member, Loni: I had a yard that was half fire ant hill because there were a lot of fruit trees. I used the "erupting volcano" recipe from the kids science fairs. Sprinkle the ant hill liberally with baking soda and then pour concentrated white vinegar (from Home Depot, etc not food grade) on it. The resulting foam is acidic and follows their tunnels into the nest itself and kills them. Then water heavily to disperse the residue when it is done. Didn't have tortoises at the time but was safe for dogs and cats.
 

Changa

Active Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2018
Messages
152
Location (City and/or State)
Ca
Here are a few home remedies I've accumulated over the years:

Hey neighbor (Selma,ca)love this
We moved to the country because of my husband work
We have alot of ants i cant seem to get rid of
I haven't moved the Sully outside, yet.we are in the in the planning stages and this another question
 

JenC

Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2020
Messages
66
Location (City and/or State)
Horseshoe Bay TX
Hi,
My tortoise is tiny (6months)
I treated his outdoor enclosure because of black ants with DE. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I covered the treated area with another layer of soil on top so he wouldn’t walk through it. I’m just worried about putting him back outside now. I got it at Lowe’s so I’m sure it’s ok, but didn’t check to see if human grade. Am I being too paranoid???? Thanks
 

Pastel Tortie

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Joined
Jul 31, 2018
Messages
4,264
Location (City and/or State)
North Florida
Hi,
My tortoise is tiny (6months)
I treated his outdoor enclosure because of black ants with DE. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I covered the treated area with another layer of soil on top so he wouldn’t walk through it. I’m just worried about putting him back outside now. I got it at Lowe’s so I’m sure it’s ok, but didn’t check to see if human grade. Am I being too paranoid???? Thanks
For the DE to work, it's going to have to be dry (don't bother if it's going to rain soon), and it has to be on top of the surface. It shouldn't harm the tortoise if he's just walking through it. Depending on where the ants are, you may be able to set up a series of perimeter barriers of DE that the ants would not want to cross. Think of having a "moat" of DE with the tortoise on the protected island and the ants NOT on the island.
 

ZenHerper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
2,078
Location (City and/or State)
New Jersey
Hi,
My tortoise is tiny (6months)
I treated his outdoor enclosure because of black ants with DE. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I covered the treated area with another layer of soil on top so he wouldn’t walk through it. I’m just worried about putting him back outside now. I got it at Lowe’s so I’m sure it’s ok, but didn’t check to see if human grade. Am I being too paranoid???? Thanks

Most modern DE is processed for household applications.

Pool grade DE is a filter medium...it has been super-heated (melted) and is no longer the sharp-edged diatom dust that will slice-and-dice pesky insects (also worms, bees, isopods, etc.). So basically a waste of investment as an insecticide.

The only way to know if what you used was ingestion-safe is to read the label of the product you purchased.

If the ants burrowed through the application, they would theoretically carry it back to their nests and have some granules get stuck between their exoskelletal cells. But once wet, DE turns into plain old mud. It has to be applied liberally and regularly (and will continue to kill worms, bees, isopods, etc. that come in contact with it). If the ant colony is at a distance from the application, the chances enough will reach the eggs, larvae, and queen decreases dramatically.

Liquid or gel ant bait is usually quicker...you have to find a type that attracts the ants you are dealing with. Ask at the garden shop or hardware store...bring some ants with you in a jar to help ID them properly.
 

Jdaniel

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2020
Messages
33
Location (City and/or State)
Mobile, Alabama
Does anybody know how toxic fipronil and indoxacarb are to chelonians?

According to my vet, it's relatively less toxic to mammals, (compared to other baits)especially the indoxacarb.

By the way, another good base for ant bait is peanut butter.

Fire ants will absolutely swarm it, as I found out with an unfortunate incident concerning a jar of peanut butter left in the car that I THOUGHT was securely closed.
 

Jdaniel

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2020
Messages
33
Location (City and/or State)
Mobile, Alabama
Does anybody know how toxic fipronil and indoxacarb are to chelonians?

According to my vet, it's relatively less toxic to mammals, (compared to other baits)especially the indoxacarb.

By the way, another good base for ant bait is peanut butter.

Fire ants will absolutely swarm it, as I found out with an unfortunate incident concerning a jar of peanut butter left in the car that I THOUGHT was securely closed.
 

Jdaniel

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2020
Messages
33
Location (City and/or State)
Mobile, Alabama
On further research, the relative lower toxicity of fipronil appears to be limited to mammals only, with it being pretty toxic to all amphibians, fish and reptiles, and moderately to highly toxic to birds, depending on species.

On indoxacarb I found no info on reptile toxicity, so I will play it safe and not use it either.

Edit: Indeed, it seems like reptiles in general are very under studied for pesticide sensitivity.
 

Julie Anne

New Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2020
Messages
15
Location (City and/or State)
Hammond
I have ants all over my yard so far the tortoises have had no problems with them but I'd like to sprinkle something over the entire yard is there anything safe that won't harm my tortoises
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,405
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
If you can keep it dry, diatomaceous earth is supposed to work.
 

Maro2Bear

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May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
A couple of days ago there was a thread where someone was suggesting to soak both your tort & food in RoundUp Ant treatment “stuff”. I no longer see that thread, (maybe it was femoved) BUT it seemed like reckless and out right dangerous advice. Too many imponderables & why risk death of a tortoise?

Found this regarding how safe or not:
  • According to the label, Roundup is safe for pets and children to walk on as soon as it's dried completely. Monsanto doesn't suggest this for the safety of your pets, but to keep pets from tracking wet Roundup to other areas of your lawn or flowerbeds. Wet Roundup residue can damage your plants - and your pets.Dec 6, 2018
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,405
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
A couple of days ago there was a thread where someone was suggesting to soak both your tort & food in RoundUp Ant treatment “stuff”. I no longer see that thread, (maybe it was femoved) BUT it seemed like reckless and out right dangerous advice. Too many imponderables & why risk death of a tortoise?

Found this regarding how safe or not:
  • According to the label, Roundup is safe for pets and children to walk on as soon as it's dried completely. Monsanto doesn't suggest this for the safety of your pets, but to keep pets from tracking wet Roundup to other areas of your lawn or flowerbeds. Wet Roundup residue can damage your plants - and your pets.Dec 6, 2018
Round-up kills weeds, not ants. I think that post was just made as a smart a$$ comment, and I removed it. Please, folks DO NOT USE plant killer on ants in your tortoise yards!!!!

And, by the way, while I'm on the subject, Monsanto says it's safe for pets and children to WALK on it after it's dry, it doesn't say anything about them EATING it after its dry. DON'T DO IT!
 

Lokkje

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You can get food grade diatomaceous earth from most garden shops and places like Home Depot and Lowe’s. I get the diatomaceous earth that you can mix in chicken feed to keep it from clumping and it’s fairly effective with ants. I also grind orange rind and sprinkle it around and it’s quite effective. I’ve seen my desert tortoises occasionally eating the orange rind grind up and it’s perfectly harmless to them.
 

Maro2Bear

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Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Round-up kills weeds, not ants. I think that post was just made as a smart a$$ comment, and I removed it. Please, folks DO NOT USE plant killer on ants in your tortoise yards!!!!

And, by the way, while I'm on the subject, Monsanto says it's safe for pets and children to WALK on it after it's dry, it doesn't say anything about them EATING it after its dry. DON'T DO IT!

Aagh, Good that you removed the thread. I really did think that a troll had taken hold of that thread. RoundUp does make a bug/ant killer. BUT, still, no one here would suggest using on food destined for a tort, let alone SOAKING the tortoise.

DONT DO IT! Don’t use it! ✅

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