Why Does My Hamster Cage Have Ants? Possible Causes and Remedies Explained

A simple hamster cage consists of an exercise wheel, feeding bowl, water bowl, and wood shavings on the floor. In the hamster cage, you might sometimes see a few bugs and sometimes ants.

So, why does my hamster cage have ants? The most common reason ants are inside the hamster cage is the food remainders on the floor. Even though hamsters are omnivores and can eat ants, ants’ bites are painful and can expose your hamster to risk.

There are other reasons why your hamster cage might be infested. Continue reading below to find out more and learn ways to keep them away.

Why Does My Hamster Cage Keep Attracting Ants?

Due to their burrowing habits, the hamster cage floor is often covered with pellets, grass, hay, or wood shaving. Like all animals, while feeding hamsters spill food scraps into the floor. Hamsters also have a habit of food hoarding, where they instinctively hide some food in a spot in the cage. If these foods and treats contain sugar or honey, these uninvited visitors will surely come.

In the wild, hamsters are omnivores eating frogs, lizards, mealworms, crickets, spiders, ants, and other small animals. These omnivore instincts might come to their rescue if there are few ants in the cage. If there are several ants, it might be hard for the hamster to eat them all. Ants have painful bites that will hurt your pets or even injure them.

What to do When a Hamster Cage has Ants?

What to do when hamster cage has ants? When you see the ants inside your hamster cage, the first step is to move your pet to a safe place. You should then get rid of food scraps and other hoarded food in your pet’s cage. Move the cage to a safer spot like in the yard to start the cleaning process by following these steps:

1. Remove all objects in the cage

Remove all the water and food bowls, toys, exercise wheel, and beddings and place them in a basin.

2.   Wash the objects

Clean all the objects in the basin with soap and water. You can start by cleaning the plastic toys before washing the bedding.

3. Clean the cage

Use cleaning disinfectant solutions and a cloth and thoroughly clean the cage. Take the cage apart for a better cleaning experience through every tight spot. If your pet’s cage is a wire cage, clean each bar with the disinfectant. For the aquarium cage types, clean each surface rigorously.

4. Dry the cage and other objects

Rinse thoroughly before drying to remove any disinfectant residue from the cage. You can either dry the objects in the sun or use a dry towel. Don’t return the bedding to the cage if it’s not dry.

5. Put back objects

Start by covering the floor with about 3 inches of wood shavings or grass. Then put back the feeding bowls and the beddings, followed by all the toys.

How to Prevent Ants From Getting to the Hamster Cage

When ants find food, they lay a trail of formic acid, which other ants follow and multiply. This trail is not visible, but you can always follow the ants themselves and destroy these paths. Below are some measures you should take to prevent the ants from coming back:

1. Control Their Diet

Ants are most attracted to sugary foods, and if your hamster’s diet contains a lot of sugar, the ants will come. Regularize vegetables, fruits, and herbs that attract fewer bugs and are also healthy for your pet. To quench their carnivore thirst, give them some mealworms but clean the remainders immediately.

2. Clean The Path

If you come across the ants following a particular path, immediately clean the area to get rid of the formic acid. Even if the ants are gone, clean the area because the next time they visit, they will use it to come to your pet’s cage. Use baking soda or boric powder to clean the area near the path.

3. Keep The Cage Clean

Regularly cleaning the cage can help reduce the ant’s visits. Remove the remaining foods shortly after the hamster is satisfied. After serving them fresh foods, check and remove any foods hoarded by your pet. Regardless of the diet, the stored food is more likely to attract ants than fresh foods.

4. Moat Bowl

A moat bowl is significant where bugs and ants frequently get in your pet’s food. In this type of bowl, the feeding part is in the middle of the container with water. The bugs are kept away by water, while your pet enjoys the bug-free food in the middle.

5. Use Natural Repellents

If your ham’s habitat is at a location prone to attack by ants, using natural repellents is a safe way to keep them off. Although this is a safer method than using chemicals, avoid keeping some of these repellents close to your hamster. Some effective repellents you can use include;

• Lemon juice- squeeze lemon juice and mix with water in equal quantities before spraying around the cage.
• Peppermint oil- pour a few drops on absorbent cotton and rub around the entry.
• Cinnamon- spread the powder around the cage.
• Vinegar- mix with water in equal quantities and spray around the cage.
• Black pepper- spread the powder all over the suspected entries.

Tips On Maintaining a Clean Cage

Cleaning your hamster’s habitat is one thing, and maintaining cleanliness is yet another. It’s no secret that hamsters are a bit messy, which makes their cage attractive to ants. Keeping their cages clean is one of the hardest tasks, especially because of the food-amassing habit. So, what measures can you take to keep their cages clean and avert invasion by ants?

• When you clean the cage, also comb your hamsters’ fur and check out for ants that may be hiding in there. You don’t want to clean the cage and take back restless hamsters with ants hiding in their fur.
• Keep the cage at a strategic location. Keeping the cage near a window or a door could easily attract ants. Also, avoid the kitchen because sugary spills may draw ants, which may easily find their way into the cage.
• Monitor the cage location temperatures. It’s only advisable to build a hamster habitat in a place that’s somewhere between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius. Warmer temperatures provide a more productive environment for ants.

FAQ

To pet lovers, there can never be enough questions asked to better the pet’s comfort and health. You can raise questions due to security concerns or general curiosity. Below Are Frequently Asked Questions And Their Answers.

Conclusion

Hamsters are adorable pets that provide a great companion if kept in a clean environment. Cleaning their cages can help keep bugs off and protect them from illnesses. Also, removing food shortly after the pet is satisfied can help keep it safe from ants.

Keeping ants off can be an arduous task. Ants mark their paths when they visit your pet’s cage, so they always know how to get back. Using the repellents we have talked about can help ward them off. Also, cleaning the path area can reduce the possibility of the ants returning to your pet’s cage.