I am also curious as to how ants got in the tank. If there is an infestation in your house...an exterminator would be able to take care of it using non-toxic treatments. We have an exterminator that comes to treat our house for ants and other bugs...and he knows about my snakes and other pets and only uses non-toxic treatments. Diatomaceous earth is one solution for ants that will not harm people or pets. Also, there are tanks available with screen tops that have very small meshed screening that insects can not get in. Another thing to consider is that you cannot always see evidence of mites. Eggs and babies are microscopic and cannot be seen by the human eye.