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ants are invading the kitchen... so who has some 'non toxic to cats' ways to eleiminate these little pests. I have used poisons outside but i won't do that indoors.
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pet safe way to kill ants
- Thread starter abigail
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I have actually had some success with using flea spray that you would spray right on your animals to kill flees. I got it at petsmart and it worked pretty well on the ants. I didn't want to tak any chances with my babies either. Make sure you read all teh warnings before spraying!
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There's always diatomaceous earth. You also need to thoroughly clean the kitchen and get rid of their scent trails, and of course make so no little crumbs of food are anywhere. If you can find the hole that they're coming in through, blocking that may help.
You can wash countertops, cabinets, and floor with equal parts vinegar and water to deter ant infestations.
Ants won't walk over chalk for what it's worth. You might also try calling a pest control company and asking. In my apartment they have pest people come out and spray if we have ants (they were just out yesterday actually) and before they did the first time I neede them I called and asked if what they used was pet safe and it is.
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One of those little hand held steam cleaners.....
it kills the ants and at the same time erases their pheromone trail.
It really works plus it's great for cleaning other things too..
http://www.amazon.com/Euro-Pro-SC505.../dp/B00008J4C8
There are less expensive steam cleaners at your local home improvement store.
Good luck...
it kills the ants and at the same time erases their pheromone trail.
It really works plus it's great for cleaning other things too..
http://www.amazon.com/Euro-Pro-SC505.../dp/B00008J4C8
There are less expensive steam cleaners at your local home improvement store.
Good luck...
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I use the little plastic ant traps that have the poison inside and tiny holes that my cats can't reach into.
I only use those when I'm waiting for the pest people. I'm always afraid one of the cats will eat an ant that's been in the trap.
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Why use poison when water is more effective?
See my above post...
I urge everyone to use non-toxic steam or hot water.
It kills the ants and erases their scent trail so that they can't find their way back.
It is quick and safe and cheap.
See my above post...
I urge everyone to use non-toxic steam or hot water.
It kills the ants and erases their scent trail so that they can't find their way back.
It is quick and safe and cheap.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
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what about all the boiling water left on surfaces?
Actually, with those little steamers the water is cool in less than 30 seconds I'd say. I'm just guessing but it does cool very quickly.
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It gets cool right away.
I have never had the steam harm anything...
I use it to clean my bathroom, kitchen, sometime areas of the floor etc....
I have found it to be a great non-toxic solution for cleaning a lot of things.
I have never had the steam harm anything...
I use it to clean my bathroom, kitchen, sometime areas of the floor etc....
I have found it to be a great non-toxic solution for cleaning a lot of things.
The traps work fine for me
My cats have never shown any sign of eating ants and I've tried just about everything else (including boiling water and getting pest control in to put something down). We have a nest in the wall between my flat and my next door neighbour's flat and every spring we both get infested with them. If I put the traps down early enough it gets rid of them completely. Till the next time.
I use a product called Orange Guard. It is made from orange peel extract, the scent repels ants. It's natural and safe to use around pets. I spray it directly on the ants and in any places they might hide, it keeps them away for a few weeks at least. I wipe up any excess so my cat doesn't get it on her paws.
http://www.orangeguard.com/
http://www.orangeguard.com/
If someone did use poison how long is it there? My dad did that a week and a half ago to kill ants in our bathroom. I am getting a kitten in a few weeks and was planning to put her litterbox in there. Is that dangerous? The steamer is a great idea if it happens again though. We have one and it cools down pretty quickly, it just feels warm for a minute or two (it feels like the floor in front of a window when the sun shines on it for a few hours.)
Try putting out bay leaves - ants don't like the smell and generally go away. Also, for those of you who can get QVC - they have a great book called Grandma's Kitchen Wisdom Critter Ridder book. Lots of pet safe and environmentally safe ways to get rid of pests - large and small - except no cures for the DH who misbehaves! (well, they do recommend exlax to get rid of gophers! Try that!)
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You can buy borax/sugar solution for ants. Borax is harmless to pets, and ants will eat some and bring it back to the nest and share with their friends. It comes in a syrupy sugar solution, and has long been an effective and safe way to kill ants.
If you put out some of this stuff, (it comes in several convenient forms), you will soon see a line of ants waiting to get some of the free meal. Works just as well as pesticides.
If you put out some of this stuff, (it comes in several convenient forms), you will soon see a line of ants waiting to get some of the free meal. Works just as well as pesticides.
Yeah, I think I saw some instructions in some past searching...it described how to make a bait station with a baby food jar, borax and sugar IIRC.Originally Posted by Mermaid
You can buy borax/sugar solution for ants. Borax is harmless to pets, and ants will eat some and bring it back to the nest and share with their friends. It comes in a syrupy sugar solution, and has long been an effective and safe way to kill ants.
If you put out some of this stuff, (it comes in several convenient forms), you will soon see a line of ants waiting to get some of the free meal. Works just as well as pesticides.
I also use the plastic aunt killers. If you buy the expensive raid ones your aunts will be gone within a few weeks. Our cats don't like to play or eat aunts when they are alive so we don't have to worry about them eating dead ones.
