Ant Hotel!

[Little one 0]

Hi, A few weeks ago we set up a new feeding area for the birds. We stacked up some bricks and put a large feeder on top, the birds love it, but, today I saw ants crawling around on the food, I lifted up one of the bricks and there was the biggest pile of ants ever!, I lifted up some of the other bricks, and there were more piles of ants! I really need to get rid of them, I don't know what to use that will kill them but will not harm the budgies, all suggestions are appreciated .

[*libby* 0]

The white ant powder you can sprinkle around the exterior perimitor of the aviary... they collect it and take it back to their hills ot eat and it kills them works wonders!!!!!

[**Liv** 0]

Get a large very shallow dish ( like a pot plant saucer or a tray) that will be able to hold the bricks that support your feeder. Fill the dish with water and this will create a barrier from the ants without harming your birds :hap: . Make sure the bricks are not too close to the edge of the dish as you don't want the ants to cross. :hap:

 

The white ant powder you can sprinkle around the exterior perimitor of the aviary... they collect it and take it back to their hills ot eat and it kills them :hap: works wonders!!!!!

that stuff is so toxic and nasty though!! (if your talking about Ant Killer powder that is)

 

My theory is

No food access, no ants :hap:

Edited March 3, 2008 by **Liv**

[*libby* 0]

yeah it is toxic but generally it is aimed at ants only.. even with all my animals i've never had a problem

[**Liv** 0]

yeah it is toxic but generally it is aimed at ants only.. even with all my animals i've never had a problem :hap:

 

thats good... I still wont be using it though.... well at least not the stuff we have anyway... It says in fine print "ensure use of dust masks, gloves, overalls... wash your hands, face, arms, clothes after use....." etc.etc.etc. then it says "infrequent minimal exposure to dust can have a accumaltive poising affect to animals and humans" !!!! It is just an Ant Dust from the supermarket :hap:

Edited March 3, 2008 by **Liv**

[deb 0]

i used to have a problem with ants so i hung all my food containers from the roof of my avairy and because the ants could not reach the food they disappear.

[**KAZ** 0]

I use pedestals to hold the food trays in my aviary....smooth ....and ants cannot get up them. The pedestals I use are from peoples thrown out pedestal fans. I use the bottom section which has a cross shaped foot area, then the pole that goes up and extends with a locking mechanism. I then get another one the same and put it in upside down in the top and create a platform for the large feeding tray ( large plastic plantpot saucer ) ....no ants.

[Little one 0]

Thank you all

[maesie 0]

I've had this problem for like 'forever'. I've tried hanging food from roof (they climb on roof and down to food), I've tried the water surrounding thing, but the ants at my house LOVE water!!! grrrrrrrrrr. I use a number of things. I have a surface spray which I spray outside the avairy on NON windy days, inside I use vinegar(straight in a spray bottle), I have ant rid (sticky bates) where I think they are comming from (not near or in the avairy), and I'm also currently trying out Polenta??? The ants apparently eat it, then drink water and explode!. With all the above in action, they sort of seem to be under control. They are still on the bottom of the avairy, but their food (touch wood) is currently ant free. Good luck and let me know if you have any solutions that REALLY work.

[Little one 0]

I've had this problem for like 'forever'. I've tried hanging food from roof (they climb on roof and down to food), I've tried the water surrounding thing, but the ants at my house LOVE water!!! grrrrrrrrrr. I use a number of things. I have a surface spray which I spray outside the avairy on NON windy days, inside I use vinegar(straight in a spray bottle), I have ant rid (sticky bates) where I think they are comming from (not near or in the avairy), and I'm also currently trying out Polenta??? The ants apparently eat it, then drink water and explode!. With all the above in action, they sort of seem to be under control. They are still on the bottom of the avairy, but their food (touch wood) is currently ant free. Good luck and let me know if you have any solutions that REALLY work.

 

Thanks maesie , Does that Polenta go inside the cage or around the outside of it?

[maesie 0]

I've had this problem for like 'forever'. I've tried hanging food from roof (they climb on roof and down to food), I've tried the water surrounding thing, but the ants at my house LOVE water!!! grrrrrrrrrr. I use a number of things. I have a surface spray which I spray outside the avairy on NON windy days, inside I use vinegar(straight in a spray bottle), I have ant rid (sticky bates) where I think they are comming from (not near or in the avairy), and I'm also currently trying out Polenta??? The ants apparently eat it, then drink water and explode!. With all the above in action, they sort of seem to be under control. They are still on the bottom of the avairy, but their food (touch wood) is currently ant free. Good luck and let me know if you have any solutions that REALLY work.

 

Thanks maesie , Does that Polenta go inside the cage or around the outside of it?

 

My avairy is on pavers... so I sprinkle it in the gaps between them, and in the grooves at the bottom of the avairy. (I'm pretty sure it can be used in baking birdie bread -correct me if I'm wrong- so I figure if the birds happen to eat it it shouldn't be a massive problem.) You could also pour boiling water where the ants are comming in... burn the little *******

[**KAZ** 0]

Here are some internet solutions. Take care in case any suggestions involve toxins for budgies...however these are supposed to be natural repellants

 

ANTS - Regular and Fire

Regular Ants

Note that different types of ants have different food preferences, so what works for one type may not work for another. You may have to try a few different things to see what gives you the results you want.

 

**This is a good one for repelling ants from the kitchen. Mix a little peppermint toothpaste with a few drops of dishwashing detergent. Apply to area of benches, cupboards, etc. with a cotton bud (Q-Tip). It really works.

 

**Draw lines using chalk around areas to protect them from ants or to keep them from entering areas. Adding crushed egg shell to potted plants also helps keep plant pests away.

**Plant bee balm (Monarda sp.) around the foundations of the house.

 

**Plant around house, or make sachets, or sprays of infusions of spike lavender, garlic, geranium, citronella, eucalyptus, clove, camphor, atlas cedarwood, mints, thyme, basil, rosemary, lemon balm, chili peppers.

 

 

**I have heard that ants aren't very fond of red pepper, red chili powder or cream of tartar. I have tried cayenne pepper. It kept them pretty well corralled but the really determined buggers would cross the line anyway.

 

 

**I kill stray ants with a mixture of liquid dish soap and water in a spray bottle. I believe the liquid soap serves to immobilize the ant and then drown it. It works within seconds. My mother-in-law used a mixture of Simple Green and water to the same effect. Just wipe up with a sponge.

 

 

**Borax powder is used as a sprinkle around the house, but it could be harmful to free roamers. I found an alternate recipe for ant powder: one cup baking soda plus one cup confectioner's sugar.

 

**Ants really dislike mint. You can do all kinds of things with mint. One of the easiest is to get Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Shampoo and just put a line of it across areas where ants are coming in. They won't cross the line.

 

**Coffee grounds. Make yourself some coffee and just scoop the wet grounds out of the pot and place them in strategic locations. The ants back off. (And if you don't drink coffee, you can still make it and use the grounds.) I used to keep the grounds damp by spraying them with a little water now and then. When the ants start getting bold, use more fresh grounds. After awhile, they just stopped coming!

 

**I have found that grease-eating ants (carpenter ants) like a mixture of bacon grease, flour and boric acid. I place it in a small glass jar with holes in the lid (this keeps kids and pets out) and mark the content. Just place outside or near the nest. They will eat it and die over a period of weeks. Use the same type of container for other ants and mix with peanut butter and boric acid, or honey and boric acid. For common sugar ants you can buy little containers of liquid boric acid solution.

 

The biggest problem in the south is fire ants. I bait the same way, but I also use a boric acid paste (from Blue mountain) and squeeze into a straw, cut into 3" strips and place near the nest. It will dry, so every few days rub the straw to make fine particles. You want to make sure you don't contaminate the soil.

 

**Boiling water works, but you have to be very careful. Fire ants feed in the morning and evening. You have to approach the nest very softly or they will retreat underground.

 

**Any detergent will kill ants. (Makes you wonder about detergent.) Keep a mixture in a spray bottle for instant kill. The soap will destroy the chemical trail that they follow.

 

**The best solution is to repair and replace screens and window caulking at least once a year. Blocking them from getting in is easier than getting them out of the house.

 

**It seems that ants don't like capsacin, used in topical pain medications. I couldn't find the ground cinnamon one night and was trying to figure out what to use to corral them to keep them from spreading out and guide them towards the bait. Was thinking of trying Vaseline, but didn't have any, and didn't want to sacrifice the little bit of antibiotic ointment I had left. My eye fell upon a jar of chondroitin-boswellian-capsacin cream, so I figured, "why not?" Smeared it on the counter and splash, corralling them in like I've done with cinnamon; they won't cross the line. Told some friends about it and within days one had an opportunity to try it. Worked like a charm...

 

**The least toxic system we've used for getting rid of the ants is a mixture of 1/3 Boric powder + 1/3 cornmeal + 1/3 powdered sugar. You mix this all up and then make little foil "boats" and put some of the mix on the boats and place them under sinks, fridges, behind w/d, etc. If a warm-blooded pet licks at them, it won't kill them at most it will cause a slight burning sensation of the mouth. This mixture gets rid of everything from the ants to those huge palmetto bugs! You can sprinkle it around the outside of your house. Ants will travel in your house via the wires. You can remove the outlet covers on light switches, etc. and put some of this mixture in there. You can go up in your attic and sprinkle it all up there (works on silverfish, too). I've seen a variation of this mixture on the shelves at stores, but it is cheaper to mix it yourself. I've NOT tried this on fire ants. If anybody does, let me know if it works!

 

**There is a product called Terro that is available in hardware stores. When I was in FL for a month going through a biodetoxification program, I stayed at some apartments that are designed to be "safe" for people with MCS. The owners were very strict about what could be used to deal with the prolific ant population. This was one of the products - worked for me!

 

**The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences site has suggestions on dealing with ants. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/faq/ants.htm

 

**I was desperate to get rid of the brown ants invading my bathroom and was petrified that they would eventually take over my tiny apartment. I thought I grabbed the container of cinnamon but after a few sprinkles I realized it was cumin! It worked like a charm. A filled all cracks & crevices where I thought they were entering with the cumin and made a border of it at the bathroom door. Thankfully they packed their bags and left. Judging from the other tips at your website-ants are bland eaters, I think any aromatic spice would work.

 

I was having problems with ants getting into my hanging hummingbird feeders. Finally combined a couple of anti-ant tricks and got rid of them...at least on the feeders. First I liberally applied Vaseline Petroleum Jelly in a four inch wide swath on the stand (this would also work on whatever you have the nail stuck into from which the feeder is hung). That, believe it or not, didn't stop them, so next I threw ground cinnamon at the Vaseline so that the jelly was coated with the cinnamon. Twenty four hours later, no ants. Just in case any bypassed the barrier by climbing to higher leaves and leaping for the stand (which is like a big shepherd's crook stuck in the ground) or the feeder itself, I coated the top of the feeder with Vaseline and then topped it off with cinnamon.

 

**The herb "pennyroyal" is a natural herb to get rid of ants in the home or garden. Just clip off foliage and squeeze out the oils inside the plant onto the ground around your flowers or garden. Within 24 hours, the ants will move on. This works well in the home where ants can be found.

 

 

**Fire Ants

I use a manual method to control fire ants. I turn the mound over with a shovel. If it doesn't work the first time it does after a couple of times.

 

 

**A company called The Bug Store sells organic bug killers and beneficial insects for people who want help controlling insects. There weren't any beneficial insects for regular ants, but apparently there is a nematode you can use against fire ants. Lots of suggestions for control of unwanted insects. Visit their site at www.bugstore.com.

 

**I have used chili powder and raw lemons against fire ants in TX - and they are very difficult to combat. Once I went around the outer perimeter of the foundation with chili pepper and squirted lemons and rubbed the rinds around the door jambs. I never saw another ant.

 

 

**A boiling water drench of the mound does a better job! Most of the ants and eggs are within inches of the surface, which is why they can appear so fast when the mound is touched.

 

**Killing the egg laying queen is the only way to destroy the colony. Wait a day when the ground is dry and the rain is at least a day away, then gently sprinkle a teaspoon of instant grits on each fire ant hill. The worker ants carry the grits to the queen who eats them. When she drinks water, the grits expand in her stomach and kill her. The remainder of the hill dies within less than a day. Suggestion of Karen Hammond of Monroe, GA from the book the Tightwad Gazzette by Amy Dacyczyn, NY, Villard Books, 1999 (912 pp)

 

**To keep fire ants out of pet food bowls, place the bowls inside larger bowls of water. To keep them out of outdoor pet enclosures, place the legs inside cans or pails of water.

 

**This trick has been working so far here at our house----in a gallon milk jug mix 4 tablespoons of DAWN dishwashing LIQUID and fill with HOT WATER. Pour the mixture over the mound. BE CAREFUL!!! The ants will come out and start attacking so know where your feet are in relation to where those ants are!! The soap is what kills them and the water is what delivers the soap.

 

**If you have two separate nests in your your hard dig one up and place it right next to the hole. Dig up the other one and dump it right next to the first one. The ants will battle between themselves.

 

**There are insect companies that will come and kill fire ants for you in an ecologically safe manner. Basically, they bring this unit to your yard, insert a hose into the holes of the fire ant colony, and inject super heated steam. It essentially boils the bugs, but doesn't harm your pets/plants, etc.

 

 

**In a dry environment, put down dry grits. The ants eat the grits, drink something or get wet and then they swell up and explode!! They also drag them into the nest with similar results. Well, it is a relatively safe way to deal with them (except for the ants !).

[**Liv** 0]

I love the Chalk Idea!! It sounds so EASY!!!! i wonder if it really works...????

[maesie 0]

Very informative Kaz... thanks. I'll be printing them off and trying some of them out! I'll be sure to let you all know what works.

[Little one 0]

Thank you so much, you have all been so helpful, Kaz, I'll be trying some of them out :hap:. Yeah, maesie, I think Polenta is okay for birds, I'll try that out too .

Edited March 3, 2008 by Little one

[Feathers 0]

Hi all,

 

I haven't had a problem with ants in my aviary. In the section that I am using for breeding however an ant nest moved in. I got rid of the unwelcome guests with Vetafarm's Avian Insect Liquidator, AIL. I have it near to hand in the bird area and spray all the areas the aviary where spiders etc could enjoy nesting in. It works great.

 

AVIAN INSECT LIQUIDATOR (A.I.L) CONCENTRATE

A.I.L. is an extremely safe but effective water based insecticide and insect growth regulator that gives three way protection for all avian species. When used directly on the bird, A.I.L. penetrates deep into feathers to kill mites and lice. When sprayed around the environment A.I.L. kills insects on contact and the residual action guards against re-infestation for up to six weeks. Suitable for Ornamental Caged Birds (Including Parrots, Finches and Canaries)

 

http://www.vetafarm.com.au/show_product.as...em_number=00275

 

 

Feathers.

[Norm 0]

I think your main problem is that a pile of bricks is a perfect home for ants. I would do as Kaz & others have suggested & provide your feed on something either hanging from the roof or a pedestal. Remove the bricks & the ants.

[Little one 0]

Thank you , I decided to start with Polenta and see if it works . I'll also try the suggestions all of you have mentioned . Thanks.

[Wendamus 0]

I know this thread is old, but I'm running into the same problem - ants in my bird area as well as crawling around on my fishtanks.

 

I came to this forum trying to figure out how long I have to leave my birds out of a room after I've sprayed Raid (a common ant spray in the US) - I haven't figured that out yet, but I thought I'd post this link for the aviary keepers:

 

http://eap.mcgill.ca/publications/eap4.htm

 

The article is about diatomaceous earth - a silicate type of 'sand' that's very fine. When the ants crawl through the earth, its sharp edges slice through their exoskeletons and its drying properties remove so much moisture from their bodies that they die.

 

I use this outside my home regularly, and it works very well - we've had flooding around the house, so it has currently washed away (and the ants are seeking high ground to get away from the flooding - hence the ant spray) but under normal circumstances its a very effective, safe pesticide.

 

I recommend sprinkling it on damp ground - even though its non toxic, it has drying effects if it's inhaled, so damp ground and a wind-free day will make it most safe for your birds. I don't have an aviary to test it's effectiveness, so if anyone gives it a try, please let me know if it works for you!

[Marcowilson 0]

Hello all member,

 

Sugar Ant Hotel 

The ants go walking one by one into this custom made sugar subterranean insect in. We make three to six of them each insect season—a family custom—and place a couple in the kitchen, and wherever else ants get a kick out of the chance to visit. These subterranean insect trap inns totally freed our place of these normal spring and summer bugs, however, I likewise have a nontoxic insect splash up my sleeve, which I share, here, as well. 

Sugar Ant Hotel 

1 glass borax 

1 glass sugar 

water 

4 shallow glass jugs with screw tops (little jug of marinated artichoke heart containers are perfect) 

4 free wads of bathroom tissue 

In a bowl, blend the borax and sugar. Place a free wad of bathroom tissue into every one of four distinctive screw-top containers. Pour a fourth of the sugar and borax blend into every one of the four containers, over the tissue. Fill each container with water to one inch of the best. Screw the covers on the jugs, and with a sled and nail, make four to eight openings in the top. Place the containers in territories where you have ants (however avoid pets and youngsters). 

This subterranean insect trap will get the specialists yet not the ruler. A more far-reaching arrangement is to mix 1/4 measure of confectioner's sugar and one tablespoon of borax and sprinkle it in insect activity territories. There isn't sufficient borax with this strategy to slaughter the specialist ants quickly, so they take it back to the home, at last killing it. (On the off chance that the specialist ants do bite the dust at the powder, cut back on the borax.) 

Citrus Solvent Spray 

Place 1/some citrus dissolvable, (for example, Citra Solve) in a splash jug, and include some water. Splash in regions where there are ants. This works! 

There are likewise various herbs, for example, mint and pennyroyal, and flavors, for example, cayenne pepper, that repulse ants.

 

 

ant pest control

[devinthomus 0]

Hello, Marcowilson,

Thanks for sharing sugar ant details it's very nice. I have created a problem actually I purchase new hotel but the problem is termite this problem I don't solve, in that case, I search online termite kill products but he is not effective so, please suggest to me any company name & services that solves my problem.

 

Thanks again!

Ant Pest Control Sydney