# ants in a new air plant



## zaroba (Apr 8, 2006)

just got some air plants from a sponser here and as i was unpacking them, 1/4" black ants started to crawl out of one of them. not going to mention there name since to me its nothing serious and wont stop me from ordering from them in the future.

i'm just wondering if anybody knows of a good safe way to get rid of them before i put it in my viv.
although yea, i know the frogs will probably eat them, i'd still rather not put an unknown ant species into my viv. don't know if they are actually breeding in the plant either.

would soaking it in water for a few hours work and not harm it?


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## stchupa (Apr 25, 2006)

zaroba said:


> just got some air plants from a sponser here and as i was unpacking them, 1/4" black ants started to crawl out of one of them. not going to mention there name since to me its nothing serious and wont stop me from ordering from them in the future.
> 
> i'm just wondering if anybody knows of a good safe way to get rid of them before i put it in my viv.
> although yea, i know the frogs will probably eat them, i'd still rather not put an unknown ant species into my viv. don't know if they are actually breeding in the plant either.
> ...


Soaking would work if you were able to completely submerge and then also have room to flip it to fill up the interior cavities. 

I will guess hydnophytum. I had some black ants come in once but didn't last for more than a week. The frogs played their part in that I'm sure, but I have a feeling the colony wouldn't have thrived or even survive under viv conditions. Constant humidity/low ventilation should do them all in. Plus who knows what they eat, not likely the plant (if its hydno), something I was unable to provide but obviously not due to any strict geographical dependance of the ants (as the plants were US greenhouse cultivated for two years and yet the managed to cling). I also remember them not stinging or acting aggressive. I think they were closer to 1/8" maybe less, smaller than a melano.


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## HappyHippos1 (May 7, 2007)

Depends how big the plant is and how big the viv is also but I'd just put it in the viv and let the frogs snack. I'm sure you'll be able to tell if the ants are reproducing and succeeding pretty quickly before the frogs get harmed.


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## zaroba (Apr 8, 2006)

soaked it in water for an hour. more then a dozen ants came out of it. seems to be empty of them now.

ty for the replies.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

You should try collecting bromiliads and epiphytes in the wild.....nearly every clump has a few hundred ants living under it! :shock:


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