HELP...Ant infestation in out door heated house
 

Can anyone give me any ideas on how you get rid of ants? I've recently set up two little heated houses for my torts. I've just noticed that both houses are infested with ants. The torts are so small that I had to alter them so that they could walk in rather than use the ramp, ( they kept sliding down it because it was too steep for them) which meant I had to put the base directly onto the ground. So I laid bricks on the soil first then put the little hutchs on the bricks, I think this has encouraged the ants. I can't move them as the electric box is rigged for that location, How can I get rid of the ants without using chemicals? I can lift the hutched out and pour boiling water on the area now but will another colony just move in? I seem to be infested with them in my garden as I don't use any form of chemicals anywhere in the garden.....My neighbour said use jays fluid 100-1, but will that no go into the soil and then into the near by plants? HELP PLEASE!!

Boiling water as you said then apply lots of limestone flour. The ants eat the flour & then explode! (Can be done with talc or boric acid but obviously not tort friendly! :)

Jeyes fluid is a nasty chemical for the ground/soil, so I would avoid that one.

Hi Poppy. Yes they are totally horrible aren't they? I've had them a couple of times and found it really worrying.

I haven't tried the limestone flour - that sounds good.

But I have used the boiling water method. Remove all tortoises obviously. Pour on large amounts of boiling hot water. Repeat treatment will likely be required because ants like warm and dry conditions for nesting. If eggs have been laid you may need to keep attacking. I have seen ants carrying eggs away from the nest when I've been attacking it.

To be honest I found this quite hard to do! But there is no option. Personally I wouldn't use any chemicals anywhere near the tortoises.

Thanks guys..
 

Thanks guys had no idea about the limestone flour will be finitely give it a go !!

I didn't know that either ! brilliant.. though I do like ants , well I don't dislike them...and Monty said red ones don't do any damage. CB