Talcum Powder 100%, Ant Barrier

In our opinion, talc is the best barrier for most ant keepers. It has several significant advantages and one major drawback. At AntsInvasion, we exclusively use talc.

Advantages:

-NO ant will pass through it until it's trampled, there's no way.

-It's clear where it has been eroded away. There are no surprises like "it suddenly stopped working, and the ants got through."

-It's very easy and quick to apply. See the video below for a demonstration.

-It's incredibly cost-effective compared to other popular barriers. A single test tube can last for hundreds of applications in 20x20cm (7.87x7.87in) arenas.

-You can also create a 'talcohol' from it, which is a mixture of talc and alcohol. It functions similarly to talcum powder; you apply it with a brush and it’s forming a layer that ants cannot pass through.

-Most ant species tread it out very slowly. For example, a Ghost Ant colony with several thousand workers only remove a few millimeters per month, so in 15 seconds, you have talc applied for a year ahead.

-You can reapply it when the ants are on the arena. You can't do this with any other popular barrier.

-You don't need to clean the arena before reapplication.

-Disadvantages:

-You need to be careful not to leave the arena floor dirty with talc; loose talc particles can harm the ants.

-Large colonies will wear it down quickly. For instance, for a Pheidole colony with around 5,000 workers, you may need to refresh it approximately every week.

-Here is a link to the video that also demonstrates the application of talc to the arena:

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