Healthy for cats but deadly for ants?

adymarie

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Does anyone know what I can do about an infestation of carpenter ants without getting my house sprayed? I don't want to spray with the 4 cats and the 2 kids. The kids we can always take out for a few days, but no way will Gweeky put up with that.

Any ideas?

Thanks
 

tru

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You can use Diatomaceous Earth. It's not immediate, but it will kill them off over time. You would need to put it down where the ants go and if you know where the nest is that would be an even better place to sprinkle the DE.

De kills in two ways. It is a very finely ground powder that is make of crushed sea life like little shells, etc. It cuts through the exo-skeleton of the insects and then leaches all the moisture from their body.

It is perfectly safe to mammals and is good to use for killing fleas on your pet or in your environment. DE also has trace minerals in it that is good for your pets to ingest.

The only caution is not to sprinkle or pour where you will create large clouds of dust because it can be quite uncomfortable and unhealthy to inhale just as with any powdered substances.

If you do a search of the forums, you will find a great deal of info about DE.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by tru

You can use Diatomaceous Earth. It's not immediate, but it will kill them off over time. You would need to put it down where the ants go and if you know where the nest is that would be an even better place to sprinkle the DE.

De kills in two ways. It is a very finely ground powder that is make of crushed sea life like little shells, etc. It cuts through the exo-skeleton of the insects and then leaches all the moisture from their body.

It is perfectly safe to mammals and is good to use for killing fleas on your pet or in your environment. DE also has trace minerals in it that is good for your pets to ingest.

The only caution is not to sprinkle or pour where you will create large clouds of dust because it can be quite uncomfortable and unhealthy to inhale just as with any powdered substances.

If you do a search of the forums, you will find a great deal of info about DE.
Thank you I got some of this for bug control but couldnt find where it was safe for the fur kids
 
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adymarie

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Thanks - I will try to find some and give it a try!
 

tru

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Originally Posted by sharky

Thank you I got some of this for bug control but couldnt find where it was safe for the fur kids
I neglected to sqay, Be sure to get the FOOD GRADE DE. Ther is a pool grade that is used for pool filters and you don't want to use that around your pets. Perhaps a local feed store would have some on hand.

I forgot to mention. DE is also good for de-worming your pets. A quarter teaspoon a day mixed in your pets food for a three week period will take care of round, tape and hook worms. In warm climates where fleas may be a year around problem, it is recommended to always mix a quarter teaspoon daily as a preventative for worms.
 

carrie640

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Are you sure they are carpenter ants and not just regular sweet/piss ants?

Here is some info on Carpenter Ants and various treatments.

Sweet/Piss ants...I am swearing my life on Terro. TERRO ROCKS. If you don't like it, I will BUY it from you. Ants that love sweet things THRIVE on it...they flock to it....soak it up (and I've seen them do it)..and take it back to their nests which kills the rest of them.

Last week I used it upstairs and left the bottle on a table. The next day I went up and had all of these ants lodged up inside the cap trying to get in the bottle. It was soooo gross....but that is how well it works. Forget the powders, granuals, etc. Terro for stuff like that. And it is safe for humans/pets in low doses.

OH WAIT. I just read Carpenter Ants love sweet things, too....might give it a try!!!!! Seriously...I will buy it from you if you don't see a difference. Any would work, but we use the original


www.terro.com

http://www.terro.com/guide-ants.php

TERROÂ[emoji]174[/emoji] Liquid Ant Bait is a sweet food based product similar to pancake
syrup combined with Borax. Borax is a mineral that is mined in the desert
in California and is a common active ingredient that is used in soap
products such as 20 Mule Team Borax.

The product kills ants but will not harm people or pets. If you spill some
on your skin there will be no reaction at all. Simply wash with warm water.

Pets occasionally find the Terro and eat it. Our advice when this happens
is to do nothing at all. The product is not toxic enough to cause a problem
and the pet will be just fine.
 

stephanietx

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Are they getting inside your house or are they outside?

Stephanie
 
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adymarie

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Originally Posted by stephanietx

Are they getting inside your house or are they outside?

Stephanie
both, but only the inside ones bother us.
 

yosemite

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I picked up a container of the diatomaceous earth at Sheridan Nurseries on Sunday. They had lots of it and it's made by ChemFree. I had lots of ants coming in on Sunday and after I got home I put some down along all the door entrances. Tonight when we came home - no ants to be seen. I hope that means it's working.
 
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