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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / April 2005Food and ANTS
It is ant season here. Been the battle of the ants in my kitchen every spring. I have to keep food in an airtight container (dry food), the cats come to me when they are hungry, I put it out and watch them eat. When they are done I put the food back into the container (a small former margarine tub). I do this to keep the ants out of their food dish. How can I get rid/kill of the ants, and not use the poisons that will kill my cats if they licked it?? > It is ant season here. Been the battle of the ants in my kitchen every > spring. I have to keep food in an airtight container (dry food), the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > dish. How can I get rid/kill of the ants, and not use the poisons that > will kill my cats if they licked it?? Get those little plastic ant motel things, where they crawl in and take the bait back to their nest. They don't hurt cats and they work. It takes about a week and then you see no more ants. (They come every year here, we have an old house with lots of places they can get in.) Mary said > "PaBo" > > How can I get rid/kill of the ants, and not use the poisons that > > will kill my cats if they licked it?? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > every year here, we have an old house with lots of places they > can get in.) Those work very well. A slow acting poison is needed to wipe out the nest. It may take two weeks. There are grease loving, and sugar loving ants. So you need the right flavored bait. You can also make you own bait with cheap boric acid. Mix about 2 tablespoons of the ant's favorite wet food (such as the oil-packed tuna) with 1/4 teaspoon of the powder. (The experts say 1% - 5%, by weight.) For the cat-proof container, I use a tuna can with the lid only partially removed. Rinse, add the bait, then bend the lid down so it's claw-proof. You can spread a *little* nonpoisonous tuna around to attract the ants if needed. This wiped out a huge nest of red (domestic fire) ants for me a few years ago. I froze some of the bait for future use, but never needed it. > Mary said > > "PaBo" [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > There are grease loving, and sugar loving ants. > So you need the right flavored bait. I didn't know that. I think I have only had the sugar loving ones, judging for what they go for. They're tiny and black. I bought "Combat" traps for them and they worked great. >> It is ant season here. Been the battle of the ants in my kitchen every >> spring. I have to keep food in an airtight container (dry food), the [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > every year here, we have an old house with lots of places they > can get in.) That's what I use, but just because I'm such a worry wart I take the extra precaution of putting them under the refrigerator and stove and other places the kitties can't get to. Hugs, CatNipped > It is ant season here. Been the battle of the ants in my kitchen every > spring. I have to keep food in an airtight container (dry food), the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > dish. How can I get rid/kill of the ants, and not use the poisons that > will kill my cats if they licked it?? Soapy water. Squish the ants and wash the area well with dish detergent in water. Dry the area well, and then seal the space or hole they are coming in through with silicone sealant. I had the same problem in San Jose, CA - the little oil-loving ants were a real problem. This method worked beautifully. -L. > > It is ant season here. Been the battle of the ants in my kitchen > every [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > detergent in water. Dry the area well, and then seal the space or hole > they are coming in through with silicone sealant. If you can find it. With the little bait things the cats cannot get the bait and the ants take it back to their nests where it kills them all. A much better solution. Yours amounts to "well, PaBo, squish them." Nonsense. >It is ant season here. Been the battle of the ants in my kitchen every >spring. I have to keep food in an airtight container (dry food), the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >dish. How can I get rid/kill of the ants, and not use the poisons that >will kill my cats if they licked it?? Borax - sprinke it in teh area the ants are in as well as around the edges of the house, basement, etc. Borax absorbs moisture, so it dries out small bugs like ants, spiders, fleas, etc. It does not hurt people, dogs, cats, or even turtles.  Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > It is ant season here. Been the battle of the ants in my kitchen every > spring. I have to keep food in an airtight container (dry food), the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > dish. How can I get rid/kill of the ants, and not use the poisons that > will kill my cats if they licked it?? www.theantser.com > It is ant season here. Been the battle of the ants in my kitchen every > spring. I have to keep food in an airtight container (dry food), the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > dish. How can I get rid/kill of the ants, and not use the poisons that > will kill my cats if they licked it?? The alternative to that is to create a moat so the ants cannot get into the food. You do this by placing a smaller bowl inside a larger bowl and fill the cavity between the two with water. Then place the food inside the smaller bowl. > > It is ant season here. Been the battle of the ants in my kitchen every > > spring. I have to keep food in an airtight container (dry food), the [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > cavity between the two with water. Then place the food inside the > smaller bowl. And you still have ants all over your floor. Why don't you use the enclosed bait trays? >>>It is ant season here. Been the battle of the ants in my kitchen every >>>spring. I have to keep food in an airtight container (dry food), the [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > And you still have ants all over your floor. Yes, but at least no ants in the food. > Why don't you use the enclosed bait trays? Because there are no ants in my home. > >>>It is ant season here. Been the battle of the ants in my kitchen every > >>>spring. I have to keep food in an airtight container (dry food), the [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Because there are no ants in my home. Aha! Well, if you ever get them, the moat thing is ingenius, but the bait things really do make them disappear and will not hurt your kitties. > It is ant season here. Been the battle of the ants in my kitchen every > spring. I have to keep food in an airtight container (dry food), the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > dish. How can I get rid/kill of the ants, and not use the poisons that > will kill my cats if they licked it?? For killing the ants, what Mary said. For protecting the cats' food.... My four "free feed" dry as well as getting canned morning and night so I bought a plastic (paw-shaped ;>) plastic mat that has a slight edge around all sides. Then I put water on the mat and put the ceramic bowls on that. The water forms a barrier that the ants can't cross. Hugs, CatNipped Great tips about the ants. Plastic dishes can cause feline acne and infection. Switch to ceramic or glass. > Great tips about the ants. Plastic dishes can cause feline acne and > infection. Switch to ceramic or glass. Excellent point. I use saucers from my everyday dishes, since we use mugs for coffee and tea anyway. They are the perfect size. thank-you everyone. Got the bait traps, and am ordering Theantser. I cleaned the kitchen completely, and am taking the rugs to the laundrymat, too big for my washer. I hope that within 2 weeks I'll have the problem solved. > thank-you everyone. Got the bait traps, and am ordering Theantser. I > cleaned the kitchen completely, and am taking the rugs to the > laundrymat, too big for my washer. I hope that within 2 weeks I'll have > the problem solved. Let us know how it goes! And anything else you want to. > thank-you everyone. Got the bait traps, and am ordering > Theantser. I cleaned the kitchen completely, and am taking the > rugs to the laundrymat, too big for my washer. I hope that > within 2 weeks I'll have the problem solved. I didn't read all of the replies, but the best defense indoors is to attack from outdoors. Make sure there are no shrubs or other plants/trees touching the house because this provides a bridge for them to places they might not crawl up to. If you see an ant hill close to the foundation, destroy it. If you live in an apt, this might not be possible, though. From the time I moved into my house I had a problem with both ants (tiny ones) and termite swarmers. I had an exterminator do a termite treatment; both a perimeter trenching and drilling indoors. The chemical that they rod into the soil is also effective on ants. Its fipronil, the same ingredient in Frontline, so its safe for the cats, though they don't go outdoors any way. The effects last a long time and since the treatment nearly 2 years ago I haven't had an ant problem. Of course this is expensive, but the point is to find a way to "ban" them from your house from their entryways. :) If you use one of the moat methods for the catfood (not the antster, but a home-made type), expect your cats to drink the water so keep an eye on the level so it stays effective. SignatureCheryl "The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited breath." - W.C. Fields |
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