[PantMan]

this morning I noticed a bunch of ants on the lid of the viv. I looked all around the outside of the the viv to see where they wer coming from but I saw nothing. I looked in the viv and saw more ants. Based on my observations I believe teh source of the ants were inside the viv but I cant expalin where they came from. The viv is two years old and the only that I have put in there recently was FF adn banana. I noticed a mass of ants by the banana so I removed it.

Could there have been eggs in the banana?
What if any are the risk to the frogs? I should note that the ants are small enough to eat.

 

[wiedemey]

Whenever I've had ant invasions they came from outside and were hunting fruitflies and their larvae inside the viv. My frogs love to eat the ants (at least the small common species that thrives in my garden). I guess the main concern would be the introduction of pathogens or toxic substances (pesticides etc).

 

[PantMan]

That would explain why they were massed around the banana. thanks

 

[Steve25]

Whenever I've had ant invasions they came from outside and were hunting fruitflies and their larvae inside the viv. My frogs love to eat the ants (at least the small common species that thrives in my garden). I guess the main concern would be the introduction of pathogens or toxic substances (pesticides etc).

Rosemary and thyme oil will kill ants outside the Viv, or lemon juice around the Viv will stop their trail. It's according how many Ants you have. They can cause stress and kill inhabitants inside the Viv.

Quotes from Earthfrog "I do not think a colony of ants in a viv is a good idea---if the frogs can't get away, they will die. The 'sugar ants', also known as Argentine ants, are an invasive species, and the little black ants will often get into homes. For defense of their nest, they may very well attack a frog that sits on their colony unwittingly."

 

[wiedemey]

Agreed - I don't think an ant colony inside a tank is a good idea. In my case, they were coming through a tiny crack in the door frame of my frog room which I sealed with silicone.

 

[earthfrog]

They will find another way in.
Spray outside your house with something strong (and preferably organic), like pyrethrins. At 100 percent strength, apply sparingly along the weepholes in the brick and the foundation, and around the outside of the windows. This is where they like to enter. Keep this off your skin and the runoff away from animal and human skin contact as it causes a rash similar to hives. Wear eye and breathing protection.

I also smeared garlic oil all around under my tanks stands and around my tanks to prevent their discovering it.
They are mainly attracted to the combo of water and sugar (the viv humidity with the banana). Remove the source and they will not want to go for it again.

 

[Pumilo]

Had the problem once. Found the source outside. Poured a few pots of boiling water over the colony. That took care of it with no toxins. Used fruit to attract the ones in the viv for removal.

 

[earthfrog]

Had the problem once. Found the source outside. Poured a few pots of boiling water over the colony. That took care of it with no toxins. Used fruit to attract the ones in the viv for removal.

Were they nesting in the ground near your house (or other structure)? Or were they under something else?

 

[Ed]

There are species that will colonize the tank that may not be eaten by the frogs. For example, I've had pharoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis) move into enclosures and become a real pest species.

Ed

 

[Pumilo]

Were they nesting in the ground near your house (or other structure)? Or were they under something else?

I was lucky enough that mine were in the dirt...typical anthill.

 

[wiedemey]

This is kind of off topic but pharaoh ants are pretty awesome - certainly a nuisance but extremely successful and adaptable as a species. I recommend the books by Holldobler and Wilson; they are great reads:

The Ants
by Bert Holldobler and Edward O. Wilson (Mar 28, 1990)

The Superorganism: The Beauty, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies
by Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson (Nov 17, 2008)

The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization by Instinct
by Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson (Nov 15, 2010

 

[PantMan]

Since removing the banana I've not seen anymore ants. I assume the frogs got the ones in the viv and rest lost interest since there were no longer any sugars in the viv. Thanks guys.

 

[frogparty]

diatomaceous earth around your viv stands puts a stop to ants in hurry. Nothing like a bazillion miniscule shards of glass to cut the shit out of those little bastards

 

[Peter Keane]

Beware of Black 'Carpenter' Ants, they are more than a nuisance.. Though, I'm sure you are not speaking of these. They got into one of my phelsuma baby vivariums and destroyed two babies before I can erradicate them. I'm sure they can take out your frogs too. They also got into my fruit fly cultures, now I keep them in water.

Peter Keane

 

[earthfrog]

Beware of Black 'Carpenter' Ants, they are more than a nuisance.. Though, I'm sure you are not speaking of these. They got into one of my phelsuma baby vivariums and destroyed two babies before I can erradicate them. I'm sure they can take out your frogs too. They also got into my fruit fly cultures, now I keep them in water.

Peter Keane

Yuck.
I have had a problem with acrobat ants getting into the eaves of my roof. Chem-free came out and sprayed with 10% rosemary oil and I haven't seen them since.