Ants are usually prominent in homes where you find dogs and cats. It can be difficult to get rid of these pests and it even pays to prevent the problem before it escalates quickly.
The most important thing you should consider is avoiding the leftover animal foods because they always attract the activities of these ants.
In This Article, we will be discussing some basic questions mentioned below to get rid of ants
- How do you get rid of ants if you have cats?
- What can you do about ants in the house with pets?
- Pet-friendly ways to get rid of ants in the house?
Contents
Get Rid Of Leftover Foods
The most important step you should take to get rid of the ants is to ensure that there are no leftover foods around.
You may want to use larger meal bowls and troughs to feed your dogs and cats to ensure that the leftovers remain in the container.
You may want to use multi-layer feeding containers with some layers below picking up leftovers.
In addition to using feeding containers that reduce incidences of leftovers, you should clean up the entire feeding area after the dog is done and make sure the animal does not leave any food on the floor.
It can be difficult tracking leftover foods but cleaning up after your pet will reduce the risks of ant invasion.
The Dish Soap Spray
One of the natural home remedies that have been trusted for decades in getting rid of ants when you have dogs and cats, is the dish soap spray.
Unless you don’t wash dishes, there is no way you wouldn’t have some dish soap at home.
You need a dish and clean water to create a potent spray that will deter ants from your home, even though you will not kill all the ants completely.
This spray will not harm your pet, though it will kill as many ants as it comes against.
Simply fill a small or medium bottle (around 20mls) with water at ¾ full, then add 10-20 drops of dish soap inside, shake very well to create your special soap spray. Always shake the bottle slightly before you spray.
The Boiling Water Solution
The use of very hot boiling water is also a viable solution to removing ants from your home especially when you have dogs or cats.
Water is usually the last resort, especially when you don’t have any other ant-killing solution in the house.
The issue with boiling water is that it is only a temporary solution, you still need to engage in practical elimination and prevention methods for ants.
You will need roughly 3 gallons of water for this purpose. Simply pour the water into the pot and turn on the heat. Let it boil and show bubbles before you turn down the heat.
Once the water has boiled, simply pour some in the ant’s nest or the point of entry into your home. The ants will die instantly on coming in contact with the boiling water.
This method is also suitable for other pests such as cockroaches, and wasps. Make sure you allow the hot water to penetrate the hiding places of these pesky animals.
How to Get Rid of Ants without Harming Pets?
The Ant Baits
Ant baits can be toxic to both pets and ants therefore you need to be careful when applying them. Baits are chemical solutions applied to leftover foods of cats and dogs.
The food will attract the ants and upon consuming them, they will be poisoned and they will die out quickly.
There are lots of ready-to-use commercial baits that can kill the ants you see and the ones you don’t see.
You can use fresh dog and cat food to set the bait near the ant colony if you want to wipe them out at once.
Take note of the fact that you may have to apply the poisoned bait several times to achieve a complete result.
Low-concentration baits may not kill the ants at once but you will notice a drastic reduction in their numbers from the first time of application.
The Cornmeal Strategy
The use of cornmeal to kill ants has always been one of the most traditional options of doing it.
Cornmeal is not just a delicious meal for humans, it can be used for something else and that is eliminating ants.
Simply boil water pour some of this inside the cornmeal and stir until the mixture turns mushy. You may want to make the meal more appealing by adding some cheese.
Fortunately, a cornmeal mix is safe for dogs and cats but it is unsafe for animals like birds, guinea pigs, and ants.
When ants take cornmeal, the components expand their guts and that will make them bloated, with little time left before they die.
Oatmeal is cheap and could be one of the most affordable ways of eliminating ants from your dogs and cats.
The Pepper Spray Option
Ants hate chili because it chokes them off and kills them instantly. You may want to use a ground chili and spread it along the route that is most frequently used by the ants.
Ground chili will deter the ants from coming close to the pets. You may want to mix the chili with a very small amount of water and pour it inside the home of the ant colony if you discover it. You may have to purchase quite a large number of chilies to achieve this.
Conclusion
While the options of preventing ants or getting rid of ants from your dog and pet are very efficient, nothing beats general cleanliness when it comes to protecting your beloved dog or cat.
You need to remove any leftover food physically and even use the vacuum to remove unseen leftover foods, to ensure that ants are not attracted to them. It is also important that you take the grooming of your pet very seriously.
From regular bathing to occasional hair-cutting, clipping, and brushing, you can reduce the risks of your pet harboring a bug in their bodies.
You should brush the animal’s fur at least every 2 days, while bathing should be done weekly, or monthly according to the hair thickness of the animal. You should also examine the pet for signs of ant attack.