Ant Barrier

[americanants]

Does Fluon or a 1:1 mixture of baby powder and rubbing alcohol work better? I am a beginner ant keeper and am wanting to spend as little money as possible. Does a 1:1 ratio of baby powder/rubbing alcohol work just fine?

[MadVampy]

Does Fluon or a 1:1 mixture of baby powder and rubbing alcohol work better? I am a beginner ant keeper and am wanting to spend as little money as possible. Does a 1:1 ratio of baby powder/rubbing alcohol work just fine?

I keep Solenopsis (AKA Fire Ants) and those are not a species you want escaping. I use a baby powder and alcohol mixture that hasn't failed me yet. It's something that is much cheaper then Fluon and can be wiped off easily and also be reapplied over and over again. I use a 1:2 ratio (very watery, easier to apply).

If your really concerned with escapes you can do multi bands are the perimeter leaving a 1/2" - 1" spacing between them. Some go as far as using both Fluon and baby powder (one above the other) for extra protection. All of this really depends on the species your keeping. Remember larger species (like Camponotus) have a larger "Foot print" meaning they will need a wider band of the barrier then say Lasius niger (common black garden ant) which is much smaller.

Hope this helps.

[idahoantgirl]

I have found that my tetramorium can easily cross over baby powder plus rubbing alcohol. However, they cannot cross over dry baby powder applied thinly with a dry cotton ball.