ANTSTORE World of Ants

[paulhdear]

Anyone have any recommendations on ant-barriers? I'm building a formicarium, and I want to be able to take the lid off without a gazillion ants swarming out. Options are:

a) a PTFE band (BUT - this doesn't seem to stop them)

b) A water-filled gutter around the inside of the tank

c) An electric fence. No, seriously! Two parallel strips of adhesive foil with a 2mm gap, and maybe 20 volts across them. Anyone have any experience of this? I want to deter the ants, not fry them.

Any other solutions, or comments on (a), (b) or (c)?

[Phasmid]

A) I find that if you treat the PTFE with care it is pretty much ant-proof. PTFE has not failed me yet, I just put a band at least 3-times wider than the length of the ants and even wider if the ants are good climers. If you just touch the PTFE then the ants can climb the scraches. Also if you get water on the PTFE then after it evapourates there is enough lime scale deposit for the ants to climb. If it is too humid the ants can climb etc.

B) Water is not the best option as an ant can fall in and ether drown or float across. You can put washing up liquid in the water to break the surface tension, this will help prevent the ants getting trapped or floating across. Or you can use veggie oil, this is escape proof but if ant goes in it is dead.

C) Not sure about this but it could work, I would think using a 9v battery would be enough. Personly I don't like much the idea of shocking ants and it can take them a long time to learn not to go there.

[paulhdear]

I don't like the PTFE idea - realistically, it's going to get scratched or dirty or wet, and it seems too high-maintainance. Point taken about the water or oil moats. I think as long as the shock doesn't harm the ants, I'll try the electric solution - I don't think an ant is going to be traumatized by the experience. Not sure, though, if an ant's cuticle is going to be too good an insulator for this to work....

[SteveUK28]

Well personaly i wouldnt wanna use the electric shock treatment.. not very nice.. I use PTFE and Vaseline... Works for me.

[badman]

I don't see any problem with shocking ants, electric fences are used with livestock all the time, as long as it isn't strong enough to injure them, but wouldn't it use a lot of electricity?

[paulhdear]

No - there's zero current unless someone leaves a paperclip across the contacts!

[badman]

oh i see so it's an open circuit until the ant touches it. I've never seen one of these in action, do the ants drop to the ground when they get shocked or do they just retreat? If the shock isn't high enough I can see them just running straight over it.

[paulhdear]

I don't know - the aim is to have a voltage which is uncomfortable to the ant but not harmful. I've seen similar things used to keep snails and slugs away, but of course ants are better insulated!

[mzfckr]

maybe try with like 10 garden ants...(electric fence)

[badman]

I'm thinking that when a snail gets a shock it recoils and retreats, but in my experience when ants get surprised they just dart about in a random direction. it may simply cross over the line this way. But let us know how you get on if you try it.

[paulhdear]

We'll see. The alternative was a small automated system consisting of motion sensors and a 3kW laser, but I thought this would be a little extreme.

[mpir]

I don't see any problem with shocking ants, electric fences are used with livestock all the time, as long as it isn't strong enough to injure them, but wouldn't it use a lot of electricity?

Electric fences are used with livestock but that is different. They have bigger brains and react different than insect. I don´t think that a bug would jump back when hit by electricity. It would just probably continue in its way or react randomly.

I wouldn´t use electric fence for ants. But that is just me.

[miszt]

The electricity seems to shock the ants so that hey go into spasm and fall down, I was originally against this idea when i first read about it, but having looked into it, it doesnt seem to dangerous, I'm going to give it a go, as Polycharis dives dont seem to understand the dangers of water, and dont care about Vasaline or PTFE anymore lol

[paulhdear]

Hi Miszt, if you try it before I do, let me know how it goes. I would suggest two foil strips (maybe like the ones used for security alarms on windows) about 2mm apart, with a voltage across them.

[miszt]

I'm going to go for an 8 strip system, using a foil strip i have, 4 positive, 4 negative, in alternate strips, Polycharis are pretty large, so I want at least 1.5cm covered by the strip...i'll let u know!