Ant Problem

[bunyip1]

Hi All,

I have read some posts from FF members regarding ant treatment within the aviary - Wondering if anyone has come up with any natural or organic spray to handle the ant invasion. I have one suggestion about using white vinegar in a spray - Has anyone tried this around finches yet or anything else that works please?

Cheers for now and appreciation in advance for your kind thoughts,
Bynyip1

[spanna]

If desperate I use chemicals, but have wondered about this myself. Quick google search gave me this link for keeping ants out of homes, though not sure how effective they are as have never used any of these remedies!
http://smallnotebook.org/2010/04/21/5-s ... -remedies/

[spanna]

Further research: maybe some diatomaceous earth sprinkled around the aviaries or in problem areas?

[Harvey11]

Last week i gave my cabinets a good clean out no ants anywhere.
1 day after i checked a nest in the cabinets with 4 baby Zebs in there only to find it full of ants and babies dead.The ants had come up from our deck and got behind the cabinet.
I use Ant Rid to get rid of them and spray with Pea Beu.
The ANT RID is a chemical that attracks the ants,they then take it back to the nest killing the colony,i find this the best way.

Harv

[BluJay]

Good post, Spanna, I have always tried to use natural remedies, as on the farm, we have well water, though we hit a spring, and have to be cautious as to what we used, as well as for the safety of the animals. Last resort, piosions!

Sorry to hear about your ant issues, Harvey, good you are jumping on it quick. Don't know about over here, but back certain plants attract them. It broke my heart to pull up my peonies.

[ColouredFeathers]

I use Ant Rid and it works for me Harvey11 is right.
cheers flavio

[jusdeb]

I have Lorikeets whose sugary diet attracts ants ...

Not a natural fix it but a safe one that works ..COOPEX .

[GregH]

Our eternally green entomologist at IRR used to tell me I could keep ants out of the house by laying a barrier of wood ash around the perimeter of the house. I never tried it as I could only see that this solution would only be as temporary as the next rain shower or gust of wind and ensuring continuity would mean constant patrolling and repair. Burning an acre of rainforest a year to maintain the barrier also didn't seem that green to me either. Like most Aussie aviculturists I resorted to Coopex in the aviaries and it is a pyrethroid so it's based on a secondary metabolites of a daisy however in addition to being toxic to insects it is toxic to many aquatic organisms especially fish and according to the label is toxic to reptiles so you need to be careful. If you know where the nests are you can reduce the amount of chemical by baiting these - Ive had great success with Mortein ant-sand used against big-headed ants and home-made food baits laced with Fipronil for black ants (iridomyrmex spp).

[Tiaris]

I've been using white vinegar recently to deter ants & slugs. Its deterrent value on ants is fairly mild - will significantly reduce a heavy infestation but a persistent minority may remain. Needs to be re-applied after rain for best effect too. Just sprayed from a trigger bottle spray onto favoured entry points & trail sites.

Up until a couple of months ago I had an ongoing battle with a smallish brown ant whose activity was mostly nocturnal or confined to shady areas, however since the recent addition of Orange Chats to my bird collection I believe they have eaten sufficient numbers of them to prevent them causing a problem in my termite bowls.

[vettepilot_6]

I use diatomaceous earth to rid everthing of ants...just dust along crevices and trails..