You may have to deal sometimes with unpleasant situations as a pet parent. One of those is when tiny pests, such as ants, get into your pet’s food bowl. It is not only unpleasant for your furry friend (no more ant bites), but it can also cause significant problems. It’s not possible to see only one ant. There will be many more. It’s important to eradicate your pest problem quickly or at least prevent it from happening altogether.
How to Keep Your Pet’s Food Ants Free
Before you start spraying or sprinkling things in your kitchen, make sure you do the basics. To prevent problems and avoid unhealthy situations, organize your pet’s stuff. It is much easier to prevent ants from coming than to eradicate them.
These 9 Simple Ways to Keep Ants from Dog Food
At all costs, keep your dog’s dishes clean.
Ants will take any crumb or morsel of food they find. You can make it less attractive for them by ensuring your dog gets a clean bowl and cleaning up around their food area.
Do not keep dog food out of reach.
Packaging dog food in a plastic bag
If you have ants getting into dry dog food packets, a container made of plastic with a tight-fitting lid is the best solution. It’s possible to keep dry dog food inside the original packaging. However, it is harder to seal and keep ants away. Transfer it into a tightly-fitting container or plastic storage bag that ants cannot get into.
Water barrier
Pet owners can rest assured that ants are not able to swim. To keep them away, create a moat around your dog’s food. You can fill an aluminum dish about the same size as your dog’s bowl with water. You can place your dog’s bowl inside the dish to make an ant-proof moat.
Your Pet’s Territory
Some people have had luck drawing a line using chalk around their pet’s bowls. The ants won’t cross that line for some reason, so that they will leave your pet alone.
This worked for some people but wasn’t as effective for others. A fresh, chalked outline can fix this.
Sticky Tape
There are many different types of tape, but as long it is applied so that it is sticky on the top, it will be effective in keeping ants out of your cat’s or dog’s food bowl.
The duct tape is strong enough. However, you can use double-sided tape to make it more flexible. You can wrap strips of tape around your bowl, or even directly on it, to discourage ants.
Baking soda
Baking soda can be used to control ants. It is non-toxic and will not attract pets. For ants to be eliminated, combine baking soda with confectionary sugar. Sprinkle it in any area in your kitchen.
They are attracted to the sugar, but the baking soda will do the trick.
Cinnamon
You can find cinnamon in many listings. It confuses ants and causes them to lose their way. Vaseline is an easy way to incorporate this spice.
Vaseline will emit a cinnamon scent when you apply it.
Petroleum jelly
Vaseline (or petroleum jelly) is slippery and thick. It can be spread around your dog’s bowl or food container to stop them from getting ants. However, this can become messy, so you should ensure it is not inhaled. This temporary solution should not be considered permanent.
Diatomaceous soil
The universal pest control method is food-grade, diatomaceous earth. Although these tiny bits of soft sedimentary stone look acceptable to us, they are sharp and irregularly shaped, so pests who ingest them will soon die. It is cheap, easy to locate, and safe to be around your dog. It can be sprinkled around the dog’s meal bowl to deter ants.
Pet-Safe Products To Get Rid Of Ants
There are products that you can try if all else fails. These products are pet safe. To make the product extra safe, ensure your pets don’t come near you when you use it. Before you apply the product, be sure to read all instructions carefully. Keeping the products out of reach of pets, such as behind cabinets or higher up on walls, is essential.
Aunt Fannie’s Anti-Ant Spray
This spray fights ants with essential oils, which are safe and free of harsh chemicals. It can be used directly on ants or applied around pets.
Advion Angel
This product can be bought online or at your local home improvement store. It is made with an ingredient called Indoxacarb which targets most ant types while remaining safe for mammals.
It’s not something anyone wants to do, regardless of whether ants are in your pet’s food, home, or elsewhere. There are many ways to spend time with your pet, other than fighting the tiny insects. These tips can help to keep your home free of ants and ensure that your pet is safe and healthy. Our blog has more great tips. Here’s to no more bugs in your pants…err, your pet’s dish.