Ants!!!

[splntrdhands]

So I came home from work today to find that ants had attacked one of my sulcatas. The other sulcata and leopard (one eye looks agitated) are fine but apparently an ant pile got hit and the ants were everywhere. Applejack though seems to have been bit quite a few times. My question(s) to you: any safe remedies for killing ants but not hurting the tortoises? Anything I can do to cause healing to happen faster?she is swollen in the neck and eyes. I gave her a few eye drops but didn't want to open her eyes for her and possibly hurt her. I feel horrible!!! They are now picked up until the ants settle down or disappear.

 

[wellington]

Poor thing. I would soak in warm water if you haven't. I will get @YvonneG here to see if there anything else you can do. Then do a search on the forum for past threads about getting rid of ants. There should be many and one or more should be something to help,you. Good luck.

 

[Carol S]

Poor baby. Her eye looks like it is very painful. It might feel better if you flush it out with the sterile eye solution and then put some eye ointment on it.

 

[Whitneyrae]

Awwwww that is awful! Poor little baby

 

[mike taylor]

You can flood the enclosure witch will make the ants move out . Put the hose in the middle of the ant hill and push it down the water will cut a hole and flood them out . The ants will float to the top take a shop vac and suck them up kill with wasp spray . After the enclosure drys out get food grade diatomaceous earth spread around the enclosure inside and out this will keep them out .

 

[ascott]

You can also pour boiling hot water from the stove right into those little B&*#%rds hill and do this lots of times...well, until you are good with your destruction ...then as Mike said, put down food grade diatomaceous earth....then take a shoe and bang on the ground from time to time to see if you have any that are hanging on...then repeat until you kill them.....

You can get a small squeeze bottle and fill it with tepid water and gently flush the torts eyes several times a day...you can also apply a bit of ;

http://www.revivalanimal.com/Terramycin-Ophthalmic-Ointment.html

to the eyes to offer some relief and a touch of healing....also, I would let that tort be in a calm, quiet and dimly lit warm space until the eyes heal up....

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I've got BIG TIME fire ants here, too. I spray and put down ant killing granules around the outside of the parameter of the pens and keep the earth inside the pens agitated with rake and shovel so that no new colonies show up. Also, it is of top importance to pick up uneaten food quickly. I also have a smaller "emergency" pen inside my patio garden area for when I have to "NUKE" an out door pen. Dig and destroy! Make no mistake...Fire ants can and will kill your tortoise.

 

[splntrdhands]

Where do you find this food grade diatomaceous earth? Feed stores? Online? You sprinkle it throughout the enclosure or just around the outside of the enclosure?

 

[mike taylor]

Tractor supply or feed store.
Inside and out

 

[Moozillion]

The diatomaceous earth is not hard to find, but just MAKE SURE IT SAYS "FOOD GRADE"!!!!! I got mine online.

 

[splntrdhands]

Well it looks like Applejack died yesterday as a result of the ant bites.

 

[Abdulla6169]

Well it looks like Applejack died yesterday as a result of the ant bites.

What?! Aww,that so sad

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Man. What a way to go!

 

[jeffjeff]

so sorry to hear she never made it. hope the others are ok.

 

[splntrdhands]

Her sister never got bit. This one seemed lazier than the other. Probably didn't feel like moving no matter what. Haha. The leopard tortoise is fine other than her eye still bothering her.

Still haven't told my kids. Dreading it actually.