Help with ants in cage?

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CavyGirl04

Post   » Sat Sep 16, 2017 11:29 am


So during fall, my house always gets some ants. Not a big deal - until they discover the guinea pig cage. So anyway, my piggie's cage basically has tons of ants crawling in it. Anyway, I was wondering about guinea pig-safe ant repellant? I know you can use essential oils, vinegar, etc. but I'm worried about negative effects on the piggies.
Also, will the piggies themselves be bothered by the ants?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat Sep 16, 2017 1:02 pm


The pigs can be bothered by both the ants and the pesticide. Vinegar will do nothing for ants, and I doubt that essential oils would either.

What you need to do is keep the ants from getting in the cage. If it's on the floor, put it up on something that has legs. It doesn't have to be high, but it does have to be raised from the floor. Put the legs into small cans or containers, and put water that has detergent added into the containers. The detergent should cause the ants to sink (if no detergent, they'll float over the legs and climb up).

CavyGirl04

Post   » Sat Sep 16, 2017 1:20 pm


I don't have anywhere high to put it. Their cage is 2 feet by 4 feet and only surface possibly big enough is my desk, which I need myself. It doesn't have legs, anyway (sides are drawers/cabinets) so the ants would just climb up. If I clean the cage and spray diluted peppermint oil or vinegar in the bottom (below bedding) would it be safe for them? I want to at least try it as long as they'll be okay.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat Sep 16, 2017 1:31 pm


I can tell you from experience that spraying vinegar will do nothing. I regularly get ants in my kitchen. If I actually hit them with the vinegar spray, some of them die, but nothing happens if they just walk through it.

Just lift the cage on some wooden blocks. It doesn't have to be on a piece of furniture. Furniture legs would be ruined by the water anyway.

CavyGirl04

Post   » Sat Sep 16, 2017 1:37 pm


Okay, thanks. I will do that!

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pigjes
Cavy Comic

Post   » Sat Sep 16, 2017 4:07 pm


Banana peels made ants flee from my garden within a day.

WICharlie

Post   » Sun Sep 17, 2017 3:32 pm


I think you need to get rid of the ants at the source. Follow the line of ants to see where they are coming into the house (usually through a crack under the bottom of a door). Sweep the floor thoroughly to get rid of any crumbs that may be attracting them in. Then place those ant traps next to the wall on either side of the place where they are coming in. They should be gone in a day or so. The ants take the poison back to their nests and it gets rid of them.

CavyGirl04

Post   » Sun Sep 17, 2017 4:08 pm


They're coming in through the wall, my room is basically the entry point. Anyway, bpatters's suggestion has stopped them, once I cleaned out the cage and make it so no more could get in they realized there wasn't anything and mostly stopped.

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