THE ANT WARS

[TheLastGreen]

I need help, I went out to check up on my tort, when these little buggers appeard. I've never seen them and they aren't like the local ants and they try to bite, it seems the local colony and this new one is fighting, any advice?
(To repel the local one, I tried using cinnamon, vinegar with and without bakingpowder and dish washing soap, it was far from the habitats edge and the tort can't reach it)
The local ones
Does anyone know what type it is?

 

[TheLastGreen]

They seem to be Argentine ants?

 

[wellington]

I have read, but don't know how well it works. Diatomaceous Earth or Oatmeal. Maybe even ant traps.
If they are like the USA fire ants, you want to keep them away from your tort.

 

[TheLastGreen]

For sure, the native ants have soldiers that don't bite, they only bite when they are hunting like beetle larva, but I only saw soldiers attacking these invaders, and I know ants are... persistant, so it is important to eradicate them. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Maggie3fan]

For sure, the native ants have soldiers that don't bite, they only bite when they are hunting like beetle larva, but I only saw soldiers attacking these invaders, and I know ants are... persistant, so it is important to eradicate them. Thanks for the tips!

I am not sure if you can find this in SA...I have used Diatomaceous Earth and found the ants won't cross it. But it doesn't kill the ants just keeps them away from your tortoise...

 

[TheLastGreen]

Thanks @maggie3fan @wellington I found diatomaceous Earth here online. I sat now at the other end of the habitat and got bit!
The audacity of these little buggers!
Here is Zvezda eating som rocket on the bright side

 

[jeff kushner]

"I have used Diatomaceous Earth and found the ants won't cross it. But it doesn't kill the ants just keeps them away from your tortoise..."

I just learned my "new thing for the day"Thanks Mags. If this is so, I would suggest using it to slowly push the ant out of the concerned area.

.....however I have found that an excellent method is to "neutron bomb" them.

Mods, if you deem this as dangerous, remove the comment. My goal is the safe keeping and thriving of our little friends.............I won't be affected, promise!



The Neutron bomb was the one that was supposed to kill via radiation, leaving building intact and the half-life was so low, the fallout would be gone very, very quickly.....leaving the target area inhabitable....lovely right?

Permethrin is the active ingredient in the Thermacell brand of butane-fired bug repellant. It works so well that even if you live on the edge of a creek, you won't have any mosquitoes within 15 ft of the Therm. It can be purchased 8oz on Amazon for 10 bucks, prob cheaper other places but I'm lazy.

Depending on the size of the enclosure,remove all living animals, take one drop on a cardboard or other pad and set the pad into the closed enclosure. Wait an hour, remove pad, let sit another hour, then fan lightly to remove any remaining fumes.......the fumes kill insects but nothing else, nor do the fumes adhere to plants, glass or other stuff, once you air it out, it's clean....and you'll find the bugs gone, dead or driven underground for weeks.

Remember not to spill even a single drop of this into your torts home, if you do, remove all material that could have touched it! This is killing via fumes alone.

I have used this method on two occasions with my little box turtle with no obvious effects and had used it prior to control bugs in another environment that housed rabbits with no ill effects.


good luck!

 

[ZenHerper]

Diatomaceous earth will kill insects...as long as it stays dry and powdery. The tiny diatom bodies are sharp and will cut insect body cells, causing dehydration and death. It will be completely non-harmful to your torts, so you can use it liberally in and around enclosures.

Argentine ants are not known to bite without serious provocation...perhaps you have fire ants (Solenopsis geminata).

Solenopsis species: the Fire ants

MYRMICINAE TRIBE: Solenopsidini The Genus Solenopsis Westwood: the Fire ants Much of our general information about the genus is sour...

antsofthecape.blogspot.com

See if there is a local governing board where you can report this sighting...fire ants are a serious menace, and when you start seeing them, they are quite well-established in the area.

 

[TheLastGreen]

I have a specimen, that I collected just now. A soldier ant, with a stinger!
It has medium to small sized mandibles

 

[norma.b]

They seem to be Argentine ants?

Maybe what we call Fire Ants. They bite like crazy

 

[TheLastGreen]

Do you have them in KwaZulu Natal? I only know of bullet ants in the Drakensberg. I suspect these are fire ants because they are relentless, and attack in groups

 

[TheLastGreen]

@ZenHerper you were right, they seem to be tropical fire ants (solenopsis geminata), a known invader

 

[Tortobsessed]

I agree with the recommendation of DE. If you pour boiling water (~2-3 gallons) down the colony and add DE around it it should make that entrance unusable, so they don't bother your tortoise. This likely wouldn't kill them but if you see any more pop up you can use the same treatment and eventually you might be able to kill them.

 

[Lyn W]

Diatomaceous Earth is a good deterrent but I believe it has to be the food grade DE to be safe for your tort.

 

[TheLastGreen]

Good news everyone, my grandmother suggested that I mix citrus fruit peels and vinegar and place it in a closed jar. While waiting for the other stuff, I did it and it worked like a charm! The local colony is still quite active and patrolling, I will keep an eye out and every hour or so check up on Zvezda. It also rained for a few days straight so it seems the newer areas of the fire ant colony drowned

 

[ZenHerper]

Good tip!