Pet safe way to get rid of ants...

Like everyone else in So Cal, I have a problem with those tiny sugar ants getting into my house. They particularly love catfood (which is now in ziplock bags). However, they get all over my kitchen because that is where the cat dish is (she is free fed dry food 24/7). All of the ant repellants I have seen are poisonous so that is out of the question... even the little ant traps... they go in, eat the poisoned food and then crawl out (possibly into my cat's dish) to die. So those are out of the question. Does anyone have any pet safe suggestions?

You have the same problem as me.
There are even Ants in my Microwave.

In our honey house ( a metal building where we harvest honey....I'm a beekeeper) we treat around the perimeter of the building. No chemicals inside. That will help some.

When feeding ferals, I put the food bowls in a shallow saucer/bowl of water. The idea is that the ants cannot reach the food bowl because they drown in the water.

Last option is to have scheduled feedings and take the food up after a certain time.

Hope that made sense.

FOOD grade Diatansous earth( someone correct my spelling)... it could aid in worming your cats but is safe to use around them

diatomaceous earth

I still need to buy that.

Make friends with someone who has some industrial pesticide and spary around your whole house. We have none!

Originally Posted by Meowers

Make friends with someone who has some industrial pesticide and spary around your whole house. We have none!

Click to expand...

Please do not do this. If there are strays or if you yourself let your cats out this is a dangerous thing to do unless the pesticide company is using something that is guaranteed non-poisonous to animals.

Diatomaceous Earth is a great product and even if your cat ingests any it will not hurt them and may actually do them some good. BUT - it must be the human/food grade diatomaceous earth and not the industrial grade.

This has always worked well for me
http://www.saferbrand.com/store/prod...=58&pf_id=M601
msds
http://www.woodstreamcorp.com/msds/M601.pdf

Completely safe around pets
Ingredients are Mint, lecithin (fatty substances found in animal and plant tissues), mineral oil, Deionized Water, and Carbon Dioxide (propellant)

There are also cedar-based petsafe insecticide sprays that work pretty well.