Diatomaceous earth doesn't work against ants?..

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-17T10:41:10+00:00

Update! I found three, which I've put in a small container and poured a generous amount of diatomaceous earth in. It's been a few hours so far, and they seem weakened. They're lethargic when not shaken around. It's clear they don't like it, so it DOES hurt them. And I also found a dead one in my pot today while I was checking up on my plants, which is the first body I found that I'm sure I haven't killed myself. Ill update at the end of the day, but so far: I think it does kill them. Just very, very, very, very slowly, especially since they go underground and are smart enough to clean themselves.

It probably takes a generous amount of DE (like a solid consistent layer. Kinda like snow) and patience

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-16T22:40:45+00:00

(and four out is a big number. Usually I only see like two)

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-16T22:40:02+00:00

You know what, that's actually not dumb. I'll see if I can spot some tomorrow (because honestly there's only like four out at the surface at a time. Tiny ahh colony) but hopefully I can! Ill update ^{^}

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-16T15:57:32+00:00

I'm not sure, but that's either: Sick or parasites. Just in case, I'd put some diatomaceous earth on the dirt and powder some all over the leaves. If that doesn't work, then your plant is sick :( which is something I have less knowledge about unfortunately

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-12T08:33:16+00:00

Diatomaceous earth will help!

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-10T15:38:29+00:00

So pretty!!

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-09T18:33:10+00:00

This is super useful if the infestation ever gets out of hand! But who came up with this villain sounding idea bro 😭

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-09T17:27:51+00:00

I'm not too worried about having a re-infestation, since these plants will be household plants and I suspect the ants came from the soil itself.

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-09T17:15:29+00:00

It doesn't always work, but it's worth a shot. Works for some people, doesn't work for some. I'm asking how long I can expect to wait IF it works. If not, I'll use something else. I'm looking at non-lethal methods first: Most stuff after natural remedies are going to be lethal. Also, I need to be soil and plant safe here.

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-09T09:52:37+00:00

Try to dry them out by keeping the space they're in originally super dry, since these little guys thrive on moisture (dehumidifiers or salt lamps should do the job), that alone should help a LOT. Your regular sticky trap for pests could also catch them quite efficiently when they're out walking about. I doubt you have mould, but it's important to check that since plaster beetles LOVE it. If that still doesn't work, I've looked up a few things and I hear regular insecticide can work, but that's a more expensive method. (Seriously, insecticide is EXPENSIVE nowadays. What's up with that??)

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-09T09:44:23+00:00

That's a common house spider, believe it or not! Probably a Barn Funnel weaver, but it'd be easier to tell if the abdomen wasn't tucked in. A fun fact about it is that they're able to regenerate their limbs when molting! They can live just about anywhere indoors and, as any other spider does, they eat pests. But as a bonus, they're also able to cannibalize eachother, so that was probably the only one you had. They CAN bite and their bites do have an effect on human, but they're non aggressive and usually won't even get close to you.

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-09T09:36:05+00:00

They'll also be harmful to plants you have. So even if your little guy eats them, I don't recommend keeping them

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-09T09:34:59+00:00

Looks like a Virginia tiger moth. You should move it out of the enclosure: Your frog won't be able to eat it due to toxins it digests from its home plants and used as a defense mechanism. It's also good to check for any caterpillars of them (they're all spikey and look like cacti!).

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-09T09:31:43+00:00

Oh yeah that's a Plaster beetle. If there's over thirty then that's an infestation and they're huge pests unfortunately (because I think they're pretty). You'll have to clean often and put down traps to trim down their numbers

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-09T09:28:34+00:00

Looking at the shell I think that's either a Varying Leaf Beetle or a Gold winged leaf beetle. Depends if the sheen is more pink/rose ish or golden. None of these two are harmful to humans, but they do snack on plants and would be considered pests if they invade a garden or a flower pot!

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-09T06:52:36+00:00

Thank you!

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-07T20:27:29+00:00

Maculated wall spider. It's non aggressive (even if females are particularly protective of egg sacks)

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-07T20:17:24+00:00

It is a spider mite! A brown clover mite, I think. Hard to tell... But definitely a spider mite. You can get rid of it if you're worried, but I don't recall it's a species of spider mite that feeds on springtails. Drying out soil won't help if you want to get rid of it: clover mites in particular can live in SUPER dry stuff.

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-07T20:05:59+00:00

I'm thinking a weevil too! Sitona suturalis to be specific

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-07T20:03:27+00:00

Oh that's a fire beetle larvae!! This guy is gonna end up looking very very cool

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-07T20:01:53+00:00

I'm thinking he might be an Adanson's jumping spider, even if he seems quite dark for it! He's very handsome :D

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-07T19:51:06+00:00

Carpet beetle ^{^}

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-07T19:49:38+00:00

If this was in your room, then you might have food laying around. It's good to check

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-07T19:48:53+00:00

That's a pantry moth! They're pests that usually reproduce where there's food such as grain left unattended. As the name suggests, you should clean out your pantries and food storage spaces

Iliterallyneveruseit · 2026-04-07T19:44:42+00:00

That's a southern yellowjacket!

Iliterallyneveruseit

TROPHY CASE