Ants and limestone flour

[Ozric Jonathan]

Does limestone flour drive ants away?

I find my torts don't bother about a few ants but the coldframe is a great place for the ants to build nests. Eventually this means horrible ant eggs hatching and many winged ants which are huge.

My tortoises leave the coldframe when there are loads of ants and I have to keep them somewhere else for a few days and do a lot of boiling water treatment. This leaves the coldframe earth floor soaking wet.

So if you tried the limestone flour please tell me if it worked and how you applied the flour.

[gwenq]

Would be interested to know myself. I use clove oil (you use it for toothache) a good few drops in water and water my plant pots with it when the ants start to take over. They leave the pot quick smart and then I squash them. I did post a while ago asking if it was safe for torts but didn't get a definite yes so I didn't use it in the outdoor enclosure where I get quite a few ants. What I have been doing is putting small dishes of water with sugar in it which attracts them and they drown. It doesn't get them all but it does get quite a few.

[zx4g]

Why not give it a try?
Here's what happened when I was invaded with the little pests

my oh cleared out & cleaned the table, I re set it and put limestone flour arround the outside of my indoor table (we had them coming into the lunge and collecting food from the table) they are now not coming in, however,I also put some inside the torts table (as an experiment) which the ants happily trampled all over to get out.
My conclusion is: the ants will cross the flour if they have to but prefer not to.

[burnt toast]

Originally Posted by gwenq

Would be interested to know myself. I use clove oil (you use it for toothache) a good few drops in water and water my plant pots with it when the ants start to take over. They leave the pot quick smart and then I squash them. I did post a while ago asking if it was safe for torts but didn't get a definite yes so I didn't use it in the outdoor enclosure where I get quite a few ants. What I have been doing is putting small dishes of water with sugar in it which attracts them and they drown. It doesn't get them all but it does get quite a few.

I would be careful with clove oil around torts as I used (well still do!) keep fish & was told this is the way to euthanise them - let them swim in water with clove oil added.

[burnt toast]

I tried it last year Jonathan. I have a greenhouse attached to the tort shed & the ants were in greenhouse. I liberally sprinkled the flour & it did seem to work but not forever. This year no ants in greenhouse but they had moved into tort shed!! I went out several times & poured boiling water on the area they were & there seems no sign of them at the mo!

I read it works (similar to talc) by expanding inside the ants once eaten & causing them to explode!

[Dexieii]

I use diatomaceous earth to great effect, keeping the ants and other bugs down in my garden, coop and around the tortoise enclosures.

[Ozric Jonathan]

Thanks Dexieii for that tip about Diatomaceous Earth which I had never heard of. Just spent a fascinating 20 minutes reading about it and it seems like a natural substance with many uses and apparently safe for animals but effective against insects.

anyone else used DE? Is it safe to use inside a tortoise enclosure? People selling it seem to be saying it's safe for everyone except insects and can be used as a food supplement and natural wormer for livestock (no mention of use in for tortoises in this way tho)

[gwenq]

Originally Posted by burnt toast

I would be careful with clove oil around torts as I used (well still do!) keep fish & was told this is the way to euthanise them - let them swim in water with clove oil added.

Didn't know that!! I haven't used it in their enclosure, I wasn't sure about effects on tortoises. I use it in my plant pots though, keeps the numbers down!

[Dexieii]

It's important that it is the food grade type that is used as the other type is toxic. I don't dust it directly near the torts, in case it would irritate their respiratory system, but I do dust the plants I grow for them and the enclosure perimeter. It really does work and is a fantastic preventative measure.

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

Thanks Dexieii for that tip about Diatomaceous Earth which I had never heard of. Just spent a fascinating 20 minutes reading about it and it seems like a natural substance with many uses and apparently safe for animals but effective against insects.

anyone else used DE? Is it safe to use inside a tortoise enclosure? People selling it seem to be saying it's safe for everyone except insects and can be used as a food supplement and natural wormer for livestock (no mention of use in for tortoises in this way tho)

[EJ]

It's been used as a filter medium in keeping salt water fishes for ages. You have to be careful with exposure because the little skelletons are made up of silica and not calcium.

I wouldn't recommend using it with vertebrates.

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

Thanks Dexieii for that tip about Diatomaceous Earth which I had never heard of. Just spent a fascinating 20 minutes reading about it and it seems like a natural substance with many uses and apparently safe for animals but effective against insects.

anyone else used DE? Is it safe to use inside a tortoise enclosure? People selling it seem to be saying it's safe for everyone except insects and can be used as a food supplement and natural wormer for livestock (no mention of use in for tortoises in this way tho)