How to Get Rid of Ants With Pets Around

Now:

Getting rid of ants in some ways can be unsafe for your pet.

And I am so proud of you that you care for your pet so much.

I have collected some information to remove your worries.

Here's your answer on how to get rid of ants without risking your cat's health:

Store your pet's food away from the area of the ants. Follow the trail of ants to know where they are coming from. Then you can create an ant barrier there with vinegar. Use a pet-friendly ant killer to lessen the toxicity for your pet.

But how do you make the ant barrier with vinegar? And what are the health risks for your cat?

Continue to find out.

Safe Ways to Get Rid Of Ants

Prevention

Firstly, there are some preventive measures you need to take:

1. Storing food carefully

Keep your food stored inside your kitchen cabinets. And even if you want to keep your food on your shelves, store it in airtight jars or any plastic or glass container with a seal.

2. Establish cleanliness

Ants come hurrying on to any leftover eatable that you forgot to clean. Making a habit to keep your place clean will prevent your house to be invaded by ants.

Make sure to put a plate under anything you eat, even biscuits. Because the small food crumbs that fall while you bite might attract ants.

Wipe up all the water spills and repair any dripping faucets. And vacuum clean your house regularly.

Methods

Fortunately, there many safe methods to get rid of ants. Use any of these methods that seem easier for you to follow:

1. Find the place of entry:

Follow the trail of the ants to find where they are entering from. Outside that point, sprinkle some natural ant repellents. There are a lot of natural ant repellents:

• Cinnamon
• Cucumber peels
• Paprika
• Chilli pepper
• Lemon juice
• Coffee grinds

You can use any of these which are available to you.

2. Draw a chalk line:

Ants won't cross a line drawn by chalk. So just draw a chalk line from where the ants are entering.

3. Make your own trap:

Combine 1/3 cup of honey with 6 tablespoons of sugar and 6 tablespoons of active dry yeast. Put all this in a container and punch holes at the top.

Now place this bait outside the ant's entry point.

If you are using any other bait traps, use them with caution and keep them far away from your pet's reach.

4. Keep ants away from your pet's food

Before giving your cat its food, do this:

Put the food dish in a flat pan. Now pour some water in the pan and putt about 2 to 4 drops of liquid soap or dishwashing detergent. This method will keep ants away from your cat's food.

5. Vinegar ant barrier

Combine 1 part water and 1 part vinegar in a spray bottle. Increase the concentration of vinegar to 3 parts if necessary.

Spray the area where the ants enter your house. You can also spray the solution outside your kitchen to prevent ants from entering it.

6. Other Methods

• Sprinkling cornmeal in the area will kill the ants when ants consume it. This is because cornmeal expands in their stomachs and kills them.

• Pouring flour on the ant's trail is an effective way too. Because it will kill the existing ants and discourage other ants to move further. This flour is harmless for your pet so do not worry.

• You can use a pet-friendly ant killer. To find a pet-friendly ant killer, look for diatomaceous earth in the ingredients.

And look for the label "food-grade" on the ant killer. This will indicate that the product has gone through a purification process.

Watch this video to help you understand the solutions for keeping ants out of your house:

But now you must be wondering:

"What about the health risks for my cat"? And "is there an easier way to get rid of the ants, possibly with household items?"

Well, keep reading to find out!

Health Risks for Your Pet

The usual ant-control methods can be dangerous to your pet.

Insecticides use butter attractants to bait the ants. And even though the dosage is low to cause any significant damage to your pet, it can still cause an upset stomach.

The traditional type of anti-ant sprays and repellents can be toxic for your cat. This can cause respiratory infections and some other diseases.

Look out for these signs to know if your cat is infected or even poisoned with any toxicants:

• Drooling or foaming
• Bleeding
• Seizures
• Diarrhoea or vomiting(with blood sometimes)
• Redness of eyes, skin or ears.
• Excessive licking
• Swelling
• Mental depression

Can cats die by eating ants or consuming the ant repellents?

Don't worry.

Cats usually do not get too sick by ant repellents unless the repellent is very strong or concentrated. And it's very rare for a cat to die this way.

Other than that, cats cannot die by eating ants as most of the household ants are harmless if ingested.

But, the fire ants are dangerous for your pet to ingest. Because fire ants have got venom inside them, which can cause serious allergic problems.

Make your own pet-friendly ant killer spray!

So here's the deal:

If you find all the methods above kind of hard to follow, then you can just make your own ant killing spray with only two things:

• Dish Soap
• Water

No kidding, this is all you need!

To make your own anti-ant spray:

1. Fill a spray bottle with 75% or 3/4 water.
2. Then add 1 teaspoon or 10 to 20 drops of dish soap into the bottle.
3. Now close the lid and give it a good shaking until you see soap bubbles inside.

Some things to remember

• Do not add too much soap as it will become a mess to clean because of the excessive amount of soap.
• It is better to use a soap with less artificial fragrances and harmful chemicals.

Though if you do not have such dish soap, then it's not a big problem as it still would be better than most of the toxic and chemical-based ant sprays.

• Spray anywhere you spot those annoying ants!
• Using this spray will leave a trail of dead ants and some soap residue. So just take a rag or paper towel and wipe the mess.

This spray will be better to use than to buy the expensive anti-ant products. There no excuse not to use this as it is possibly the best method that is safe for your pet!

Here is a video for you to help you make another type of homemade ant killer other than this spray:

Related Questions

What are the insects that are toxic to cats?

Insects like Botflies, Scorpions, Texas redheaded centipedes, Black widow spiders and Brown recluse spiders can be toxic and dangerous to cats. This is because they have got poisonous and venomous bodies and toxic contents inside their bodies.

Will ants go away on their own?

Unless you see just a handful of ants foraging for food, randomly milling around your countertops, they're generally going somewhere and coming from somewhere. Typically if you clean up the spill, the ants will go away on their own.

What attracts ants in the house?

Ants are continually looking for food and water. They are attracted to anything that is damp or that contains standing water in your home. They are also attracted to anything that is sugary or smells sweet. Ants are also attracted to bread and pet food.

Will Dawn kill ants?

Getting rid of ants is easy with Dawn Dish Soap. Spray a mixture of water and Dawn directly onto countertops, floors, sinks, or wherever the ants seem to be. If you spray the solution directly on an ant, Dawn will penetrate their exoskeleton and kill them on contact. This also works for wasps and cockroaches.

Conclusion

I hope you can destroy the life out of those pesky ants that are annoying you and your lovely cat. I think all the methods I have included in this article would be efficient enough to keep the ants miles away from your house.

Just make sure that you follow the preventive measures as well. Good Luck!

How to Get Rid of Ants With Pets Around

Source: https://fluffyplanet.com/is-there-a-way-of-getting-rid-of-ants-thats-safe-for-my-cats/

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