Safe way to get rid of ants?

[Nanajennie]

Today I noted some mini, and I mean MINI ants, in the OCWB cage. I have two Petco Cages on a wooden sunbench, They are side by side, nearly touching. But Only one cage has the ants.

I cleaned all around and vacuumed etc... and went back to check and they were back.

Same food, same scenario... They are next to an open screened window

What can I use safely? I read an older thread, but it was more geared towards an outdoor aviary


GREAT
I also found some in my bird supply basket, which I bleached and now is out drying in the sun, and all my food and millett is in the freezer. It has been flooding like mad in Vermont, and has been humid and damp for about two weeks... I am sure this is why I have a little infestation

[Nerien]

We put dried mint leaves in our cabinets & around baseboards to drive the ants out when they decided our house was better than theirs. Forget who told me that, nature center guy, maybe. Anyway, it worked like a charm, and totally safe (at least for kids, and I think for birds). I'm sure fresh mint leaves would work, too. Don't know about mint extract, it's not quite the same as the real stuff, having been extracted.

[Nerien]

In fact, we never had an ant problem ever since then, and it's been years.

(having just said that, I'm sure the house will be literally crawling by tomorrow....)

[Nanajennie]

Nerien Thanks, I love mint, and usually have it in the house as I add it to almost all my summer waters etc...

Will get some tonight. I knew your scientific brain would know. I almost PM'd you, but thought it would be nice for anyone else with ant issues to see and hear. I will let you know how it works. I think I will get some seeds and plant them around the outside of the window. YUM Thanks my friend

[Musetta]

We just had an exterminator treat for ants a few weeks ago. He supposedly uses stuff that is environmentally friendly and minimally harmful to animals. Had to move my birds to a different room for a few hours so he could spray around their cage. Birds were back in their cage that evening, no problems, no ants since then. The company's Envirotreat; it's Maryland-based.

[chirpy]

I used ground up cinnamon. not sure if it works but I read its pet friendly.. but now sure about birds though (I only had cat in that part of the house). I tried to do a ring around some ants and they tried to avoid it and was stuck in the middle...

but, not sure about birds.

[Nerien]

I've always wanted to plant mint all around the foundation of the house to make sure all critters just stay away, and because it comes in all kinds of varieties, both flavor, and appearance & size. Never got around to doing it, tho. Just have some random bits of mint still growing in the jungle that used to be the remains of my gardens. Someday....

Outside the house you can use ant traps made for outside use. We did this several years ago after a big oak tree on the back hill fell over one storm, and we found it was full of carpenter ants, who were now homeless as we chopped up the tree and chucked all the bad, infected wood over the hill and into the pond (just sorta kept rolling, wasn't really intentional). Forget which brand, one of the major ones, these were little green plastic circular ant traps on a long green plastic spike that you just stick in the ground against the foundation.

[cindy]

I use small drops of Terro or the bait traps near the point that they are entering the house (keep away from pets) they take the bait to the nest and die within a day. Once gone, find the point of entry and plug if they are coming through say caulk in a baseboard joint.

[Rox]

We put dried mint leaves in our cabinets & around baseboards to drive the ants out when they decided our house was better than theirs

I've been told the same thing about the mint leaves. It also helps to control flea's if you put them under your pet's bedding

I had an ant problem going into winter this side, as the ants decided my aviary was the perfect place to build up their winter stockpile... I eventually ended up tracing the ants to the various nests and put long lasting ant poison down at the nest sites, away from the aviary. As much as I hate using poison in my garden, it was the only way I could control it.

[Bhatta]

I use Avian insect liquidator spray from ladygouldianfinch.com

[Nanajennie]

Thanks everyone for the advice. gonna go with mint and baits

[Anneka]

We had a similar problem despite the fact that I keep all cages super clean. They were coming inside no matter what I used until I tried Johnson/Johnson ant gel and that took care of them for good! Bought it in Walmart.
Place a bit near the spots where they are coming inside. Good luck!

(not for use in cages of course)

[kcdozy]

I also use Avian insect liquidator spray, last about 6 weeks.

[Nanajennie]

cindy I got that liquid ant stuff you suggested. It came in little plastic boxes. Man oh man did it ever work thanks. All ants were almost gone this AM

[cindy]

Excellent!!!