HELP: Ants invaded backside of tank

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petspoiler

petspoiler

Piranha
MFK Member
Jan 7, 2011
3,352
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81
rural Calif.
This is a 'first'. usually they hit the kitchen or bathrooms.
They're accessing my 75G SeaClear tank, rear compartments.
The in and out trail 'looks' thin, but under the lids they're obviously in nirvana. They will start an indoor nest [in winter] if not quickly stopped.
How can I safely eliminate them around the tank?
I don't even know if most 'natural' things are safe. the tank is on a wood cabinet and it sets on carpet, so....? they're awful persistent and I'll have to make a circle around the whole tank with something.
 
Hello: I had several invasions in my former houseof very small black ants. I tried a couple of things with limited success. One thing used was a liquid called TERRO Ant Killer. It is supposed to be a poison bait. I would put a few drops in a tiny container placed along one of their trails. They would find it and eat it and were supposed to take it back to the nest to share with other ants and then eventually die. The numbers would slow down for a while and then build back up. At least it kept them to only going to the baited containers. I have no real idea if or how many were actually killed.
I also got some baits to stick in the ground around the peremiter of the house. I think they are still being sold at Big Lots around here. I made sure to put some extras along outside walls where the ants seemerd to be getting in. This seemed to do some good.
The way that I understand it is that ants send scouts wandering about. If the scouts find something desireable the scouts leave a chemical trail as they go back to the nest. The other ants follow that trail to the desireable stuff or place. I vacuumed/ mashed the ants up and cleaned the trails away from surfaces bact to usually a window where they were getting in. I placed the baited containers on the window sills in a bathroom and in the kitchen. I had to add more drops every few days. There would almost always be a circle of ants eating the stuff. I never really completely stopped them but was able to keep them from going past the window sills for the most part. I did not try spraying anything around my tanks.
Be sure to kill and wipe down the area when you find any single ant wondering about, it may be a scout.
 
yes, they're little black 'sugar ants' or piss ants.
I'm afraid to use lethal bait for the bunch that've already identified my tank. They could go there afterwards and drop inside. some are doing that. They're at and near my top skimming prefilter, which sticks above water a bit. micro fish food gets on it, so they are partying up a storm.
Smashing them releases ALL of their attractant, then they start flying in on lear jets. LOL!
I need to know something non-toxic to fish, which will drive them away. if it was elsewhere in my house I could handle it. Treating the house perimeter doesn't work when they're inside during winter. I usually just "choose my battle ground", but they beat me to it. honest, they are too devious to pinpoint one entry.
I can't get my vacuum hose behind the tank, but that never works by itself..
 
PS, I didn't know which forum was right for this post. but loosely speaking they're like parasites and killing them is a fish health issue. LOL.
 
i found that home remedy of pepper helps deter them. find where they are originating and sprinkle some powdered pepper there and they will avoid it.
 
anarekist said:
i found that home remedy of pepper helps deter them. find where they are originating and sprinkle some powdered pepper there and they will avoid it.
Click to expand...

black or red pepper? I have dogs in here... guess they'd veer away before it got in their eyes.?
 
I had a similar issue with sugar ants, I managed to find
D the exact hole they came in from. I placed sugar ant bait there and contained it by a ring of petroleum jelly, they can't cross it. So the ants would come thru the hole and the only thing they could get too was the poison. After about a week of them comi g thru and eating poison they were gone. You have to find the exact spot they are getting in though for that to work


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