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Thief ants

Sparkles99

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How do I stop thief ants? That’s definitely what they are. They’ve been problematic before, in this building. That was 8ish years ago. Now they’re back & targeting spilled seed. I vacuum, mop, wipe, but budgies are messy & I can’t stand by with a Hoover (though that is my inclination). Please help me. They’re just on the floor, not in the cages or food containers. I admire ants’ diligence, but they need to go. Apparently they’re intermediate hosts for poultry tapeworms too. My budgies don’t want that!
 

Wardy

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Spend some time observing them and see if you can see them go back to there nest if you can seal up there nest.
Do your best to remove there food source from by your birds so get busy with the hoover.
It might be worth setting some poisoned bait away from your birds fat and grease on greaseproof paper away from your flock might encourage them to go elsewhere and you could safely add a insect poison to the greaseproof paper at this point.
 

zoo mom

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Food grade Diamatatious earth spread in a line around the perimeter of each room you have seen them in. In addition put a line around each cage. Pour don't sprinkle. It cuts open the hard body of the ants causing them to die. It is not toxic to injest for you or your birds and any other pets you may have. You want to make sure you don't make it airborne. It can be irritating to the lungs to inhale it. I use a plastic container with a lid and poke a decent size hole in it for pouring, about the size of a pencil or a little bit bigger. I then pour from close to the floor in a continuous line.
 

Pat H

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It's only a matter of time before they climb any supporting leg to get inside a cage!
I have sprinkled ground cloves in an area where I've seen ants. Then they leave.
 

Birdie Mama

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I know loose pickling spice in kitchen cabinets,usually in the corners, when you have bugs, will send them packing. Where they go? No idea, but it does work, and never saw them anywhere else. Maybe they eat it and it does them in? Not sure if it would work on ants though, maybe someone can chime in on this one....
 

fashionfobie

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We had a few invasions of ants, likely because I am a pesticide free household and refuse to spray! Don't worry an inspector comes to check for white ants, but he hasn't found any yet... so why spray and kills everything for no reason.

I can't say my ant experience was with, "thief ants" as I am unfamiliar with that term, but when ants came into our house it was always to acquire food. Simply by following them I would find the damaged bag in the pantry or the fallen piece of parrot flung fruit. When you find the source of their food remove it and clean the area well. They will likely move on to greener pasture. Make sure you also wash the trail area because they do leave a hormone marker which helps them return to check later.

We had ants move into an small flat screen that we keep in our guest room. It is hardly used. So when it was turn on there was an entire ant family living in the tv. We moved it out into the sun and in a few hours the ants moved shop and found a new home.

There is always a way to manage these little critters without needing to harm them. They are just trying to live their best ant life.
 

Sparkles99

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I'm going to try pouring things by the door. I've watched them & they come from underneath the front door, round the corner & then find themselves under Aurelius, Winston, Pistachio & Marzipan's cages. So I don't know where the nest is - likely someone else's apartment. My food is all sealed or in the fridge, even things like bread. Pet food is in sealed containers too. Seems like an easy fix to pour that outside my front door. Thanks, everyone!
 

Gabby22

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I have had an ant problem also. I have a flight cage that sits on a stand. I smear baby oil on the legs of the cage stand - ants cannot grip on to the baby oil so it prevents them from getting near the cage. Works great. It is also a great way of keeping ants away from your hummingbird feeder.
 

Pat H

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We had a few invasions of ants, likely because I am a pesticide free household and refuse to spray! Don't worry an inspector comes to check for white ants, but he hasn't found any yet... so why spray and kills everything for no reason.

I can't say my ant experience was with, "thief ants" as I am unfamiliar with that term, but when ants came into our house it was always to acquire food. Simply by following them I would find the damaged bag in the pantry or the fallen piece of parrot flung fruit. When you find the source of their food remove it and clean the area well. They will likely move on to greener pasture. Make sure you also wash the trail area because they do leave a hormone marker which helps them return to check later.

We had ants move into an small flat screen that we keep in our guest room. It is hardly used. So when it was turn on there was an entire ant family living in the tv. We moved it out into the sun and in a few hours the ants moved shop and found a new home.

There is always a way to manage these little critters without needing to harm them. They are just trying to live their best ant life.
I used to work in a residential facility for D.D. [developmentally disabled], and we once had an invasion of COCKROACHES!!!!--- Found they had a NEST in a 'boom box' the resident brought w/ them...
 

Sparkles99

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So glad I don’t have a boom box. Hope I sleep well after that tale... :goodnight2:
 
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