# Ants Ate My Caterpillars.



## Carlie (Sep 27, 2006)

Ok, so, from reading my previous threads, you must know how much I hate bugs, especially ones that get on me or in my hair or in my bed when I'm sleeping...

So imagine my horror to realise that my bedroom has been invaded by ANTS!!! :shock: 

So you think that they just get in with your jam, mess up your kitchen, and dig the sand from under your pavements, huh? Well, imagine my surprise when I pick up a box of crickets and find every last one of them dead and a swarm of ants in their place. :shock: WTF??!! I didn't know they did that. 

Then they got in with my harmless little wax wormies and killed 7 of them too.  I like the little caterpillars. They're soft and squishi and don't crawl over your face in the middle of the night. ^_^

So, what do I do? They've got in with Billy. Do you think they'll bother him? He's already been sulking since I changed his basking lamp to one of those funky energy-saving UVB bulbs. :/ Bit worried that they'll get under his frill and cause mischeif.

Think I should put poison down? Don't really want to take the chance of one carrying poison getting in with Billybob.

Cunningly, they're nesting in an electric meter cupboard, so it's not like I can pour boiling water on them or something. 

Just want them to go away.  I want bugs to stop getting on me in the night. :.( And I really want this Glade automatic airfreshner to stop squirting stuff on me while I'm trying to eat. God damn it, my food tastes like purfume now.


----------



## MissHayho (Mar 17, 2007)

think u need to get a person in - cant remember what they are called - a bug killer lol


----------



## Elaphe (Jul 17, 2006)

an exterminator? lol


----------



## MissHayho (Mar 17, 2007)

ye hehe an exterminator!


----------



## Carlie (Sep 27, 2006)

I imagine that an exterminator would use poisons, wouldn't they? I've never had one out. :/

I'm not keen on using poisons because of the risk the ants will get in with Billy or my fish.

Maybe I'll just get the Dyson on them. Suck the little buggers up and chuck 'em outside. But then they'd probably be like homing pigeons and just come back. Hmmm...


----------



## Pioden (Feb 13, 2007)

What we used to do when we had ants was to get a glass cup, put a bit of orange juice in the bottom and leave it where we saw the ants. By the morning, loads of them had drowned in it. They are attracted to the sweet juice and go in to get some but end up drowning in it. Sounds a bit cruel but it works to get rid of them:smile:

Pioden


----------



## Elaphe (Jul 17, 2006)

maybe you could try that sticky paper stuff?


----------



## blackbear (Feb 17, 2007)

that mad sticky tape cpuld work....


----------



## powderpuff_girl (Mar 5, 2007)

sorry for your loss bless ya!
i think that tape stuff might work yeah! dont put poison down just in case!! they might transfer it to the lizard!! 
and i suggest u just move the air freshner lol!


----------



## Voodoo Royal Morphs (Mar 15, 2007)

got a surgestion put strips of tape upside down so sticky side facing up or stick double side tape around the tank so when the ants walk over they stick to it then put some round the feed tubs


----------



## Lewb (Oct 27, 2006)

You should try make the vivs antproof - they could have eaten all sorts in the wild and if one of your reps eats them it won't be pretty :S


----------



## Pro Mantis (Apr 7, 2007)

Buy a few carnivorous plants, they are great fun and you get satisfaction of slowly digested ants! If the colony is ouside, kill or move the queen. If the colony is new, all the ants could not recover the death of alot of workers, and theres your answer aswell.


----------



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I personally would move the viv out.. take the reptile out, give it a thorough examination, clean and disinfect the viv.. change the substrate, make sure no ants are left.. leave it in a room that hasn't been infested or even move it to a friends for safety.

Put loads of ant poison and sticky paper down everywhere.. try and find the point of entry first though.. if you put a plate of food down and watch they should take it back to the nest and you'll see the route they take and maybe even find the nest.. then kill them all.. or hire an exterminator if you don't want to do it.

Move the reptile back in once it's safe


----------



## danjwright (Apr 11, 2007)

You could buy an old vacuum cleaner with a bag for maybe, £20, then suck them all up, take out the bag, take it outside, cover it with lighter fluid or petrol or something and set it on fire!!


----------

