Sugar Ants in the snake tanks, HELP QUICK!!!!

[victim026]

Well I moved into a new place and got the snakes set up a few day's ago. Checked the tank this evening and I've got damn sugar ants everywhere on the tanks so I assume there them as well. I got all the snakes out, and I'm gonna clean the cages tonite, but what can I do to keep the ants out of the room with the snakes and also kill the ants that are already there? I doubt I'll be able to track down there nest in a 2800 sq. ft. home and we've started to see a sugar ant here and there througout the house now

[victim026]

I just did some quick reading, looks like I'm gonna try Terro Ant baits in the whole room and some throughout the house. Any other sugestiosn would be appreciated though.

[dracovolans]

Clean up your tank and put a line of Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly around the tank or in the legs of the table where the tank is.

Presto!!! no more ants on the tank!!

PS, Make sure you put some Vaseline in the cable of the heat pad because the ants will use it when they find out that you block their first route. Also if you put it in the legs of the table make sure there is no other part of the table touching the wall.

Never use any kind of poison around your herps.

Take Care

[Michael314]

A vivarium mite treatment that is snake safe should be toxic to the ants you could try that.

Also tea tree or black pepper oil will act as a repellent, if you sprinkle some outside the vivarium and around any windows, doors where that might be entering that should stop them and both are safe for reptiles although I wouldn't place it in the vivarium.

Less safe (much safer than any poison) is citronella which is much more effective. If the entrance they use is away from the snake use that.

[victim026]

Well I cleaned all the tanks, changed to paper towels as substrate to make monitoring the snakes easier for now... Also got vaseline in place around the tanks and on the legs of the rack there in, also ordered provent-a-mite. Gonna get some tea tree oil for around on the edges of the wall tommorrow. Thanks for the ideas guys.

[mlededee]

the terro gel ant baits work wonders and i highly recommend them. as long as you don't put them in the snake enclosures (obviously) they will not be harmful to the snakes.

you can also "erase" the scent trail the ants are leaving by scrubbing the floors with a water/vinegar mixture (they follow this trail to whatever they are coming in for and when returning to the colony with food). this trail exists anywhere you currently see a path of ants, but you should can wipe down the outside of your enclosures and the baseboards along the room they are in too.

the main colony of ants is somewhere outside--that's where they are coming and going from at this point. you can treat your yard and/or the base of the walls around the outside of your house with ant killer--i believe terro also makes something for outdoor use for this purpose.

you can also use borax/boric acid as a natural insecticide. this can be sprinkled along the baseboards of any room where you keep reptiles and along the outer walls of your home as well.