# Ants!! Help please



## LittleDip (May 20, 2007)

So this morning I woke and went to feed my frogs and noticed a lot of black ants in my tank... ERGGH!! so disgusted.. I tried to searches on the board but nothing is coming up... so I am posting this for help..

where can I find co2 locally?? will this method work 100%?
Do i have to take my frogs out? and how long do I have to wait to put them back in? 

Will the co2 kill my plants? 

Someone please help... I want them OUT ASAP!!!


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## MD_Frogger (Sep 9, 2008)

A friend of mine just lost a gorgeous pair of breeding escudo due to the same type of ants. Pull the frogs immediately.


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## LittleDip (May 20, 2007)

setting up a container now... thanks MD Frogger


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## LittleDip (May 20, 2007)

found a local place that carries dry ice.. 5lbs for $7 heading to pick some up now... errgghh not the Sat morning I was expecting


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## tim13 (Feb 1, 2011)

Pull the frogs! I think maybe you could "bait" the ants out of the viv with something they like to eat, then kill them at leisure to avoid bombing the viv with co2.


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## BOOSHIFIED (Jun 23, 2009)

What type of frogs?

I found ants in my azureus tank a couple months ago. I wiped up all the ants around the tank and just left the ones that were already in there. The azureus took care of the remaining ants. 

*caution: this can also be somewhat risky depending on what type of frog and how long the ants have been swarming. If you choose this route monitor it closely.


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## LittleDip (May 20, 2007)

Lecus.... I did pull the frogs and they are in their little tub... I placed a few pieces of the dry ice in 3 plastic ff containers and added the hot water... and the fog began... how long do i have to wait until i can place the frogs back in the tank??


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## LittleDip (May 20, 2007)

SO.... after treating the tank with dry ice and waiting a few hours and later the ants are back!!!! WTH!!!! are you serious?? looks like they are behind the cork panels on that are in the tank? Anyone have any ideas or suggestions please?? 

AURGH!! 

Not going to put the frogs back in the tank until I have this under control.... 

I also bought home defense spray and gel bait from around the house.


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## AlexRible (Oct 16, 2007)

I remember reading somewhere on the board that ant spray was alright if you have frogs but Ant bait was not. I remember in the same thread that some one said the best way to get rid of ants is to find where they are coming into the room and use the ant spray as a barrier.


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## Steve88W (Jan 21, 2011)

Would lemon juice be ok to use?
Ants follow chemical trails... Lemon juice Interrupts it.
If they are not colonized inside the tank then this would cause a temporary border if you circled the outside of the tank.


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## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

Rosemary and thyme oil will kill ants and deter them from coming in your tank. I spread it on my tank stand and on the baseboards in my house.


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## LittleDip (May 20, 2007)

Well….after the battling with the ants I lost, they kept coming back. I ended up removing the frogs and breaking down my tank. L Once I got my tank outside in the sunlight I could see clearly that they were making an ant farm in the back of the cork board. Why were the ants attracted to my tank?? Nothing sweet? Just curious…

· I ended up ripping off all the cork and soaking it in hot soapy water (reusing)
· Took all my plants out and washed them off with warm water (reusing)
· Shop vacuumed all the dirt out of the tank and washing my hydro balls

Now I am stuck with a bare 65g tank L which is okay… but as long as I am rid of the ants!! Thank you everyone who helped me!! I am definitely investing in the rosemary and thyme oil!! Thank you Earthfrog!! J Cannot find it locally for a reasonable price, so I will order online. 

Tonight I plan on working on the background with GS and corkboard pieces J Will post pictures of the rebuild later this week..


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

WHOAAAAAAAAAA don't reuse the cork bark if you cleaned it with any soap


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## LittleDip (May 20, 2007)

are you serious?? Even if I use hot water and rinse it?? Darn... I wish I knew that..


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Control ants around your tank stands or racks by sprinkling diatomaceous earth. Diatoms have tests composed of silicon oxide which is basically glass. The glass cuts the ants between the plating of their exoskeleton and they dessicate and die. Its 100% non toxic and VERY EFFECTIVE. I am constantly battling ants in my house. I use white vinegar to wipe their trails away. There was a period last summer where the ants were attempting to infiltrate my vivs, but my frogs would just wait near where they were coming in and eat them as soon as they could reach them. 
Also, GET SOME NEPENTHES FOR YOUR HOUSE!!!! Many are ant specialists, and can wipe out an ant problem with a quickness. I used to live in a log cabin, and we had a carpenter ant infestation, until one day they discovered my N. ventrata. For several days, the plant was COVERED with ants getting loaded off the intoxicating necter on the peristomes of the pitchers. After a while, they all get drunk and fall into the traps. After that, I never saw another ant in my house ever again. 
IN my new house, my big nepenthes are still getting acclimated to their new home (Nepenthes HATE to get moved once they are happy) But Im getting new pitchers that are already taking their toll on the sugar ants in my house


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I agree with the cork bark comment. Can't reuse it if you soaped it. You'll never get it all out.


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## LittleDip (May 20, 2007)

Awwwwwwwwwwwww.... Well thank you for letting me know.. I'm assuming sane thing with the coco huts too?


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

LittleDip said:


> Awwwwwwwwwwwww.... Well thank you for letting me know.. I'm assuming sane thing with the coco huts too?


Yeah nothing that has touched soap should touch the frogs


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Soap is never as good of an option as bleach water. I would soak your stuff in boiling water to try and denature the soap. Do it a few times with a rinse in between and you'll probably be fine
Soap isn't forever, it can be removed


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## LittleDip (May 20, 2007)

I guess the positive side to all this is I get to go shopping!!  thank you guys.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

The problem is that it is porous and absorbs the soap. I have used soap on non-porous things like glass for tank construction. On non-porous things you can use rubbing alcohol to remove any soap residue. 
Still, you are usually better off boiling, baking, or using about a 10 percent bleach to water solution.


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## LittleDip (May 20, 2007)

I would rather lose the cork and supplies than my frogs! I'm tossing everything that was touched with soap. The only thing I am keeping is the hydro balls.


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## Boondoggle (Dec 9, 2007)

I've dealt with this. I had a pair of subadult tincs whose tanks was invaded. One of the frogs was very fat and hiding at the top corner of the tanks, the other was skeletonized. I removed the surviving frog, wiped down the whole room and put the viv in an ant free area. I used the dry ice CO2 method for 3 hours, 3 times. All the iso's in the tank were clearly dead, many of the ants survived. After I had got the ant population of the tank near zero I put the tank back in the room and reintroduced the frog. 

I now have sprayed the baseboards around the room (except for those directly behind the tanks) and I've placed Terro liquid ant traps in every corner of the room. I was told on the board that this type of ant trap was safe for this application. The ants occasionally return, but as long as I have fresh traps they swarm these and leave the tanks alone.

For what it's worth,
Jeremy


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