In today’s day and age, many have pets in their houses or apartments. Dogs, cats, parrots or guinea pigs are only some animals that most people love and have in their homes.
Ants are so tiny that even your dog or cat won’t bother catching them. Except, of course, if you have an anteater in your house, which is unlikely.
Getting rid of the ants without harming your pets must be done without using strong chemicals, and the focus should be on natural ingredients. In this article, we are going to cover how to get rid of the ants quickly while, at the same time, keeping your pets safe and intact.
Related: How to Keep Ants Out of Pet Food – Complete Guide
Killing Ants Without Harming Your Pets – Tips and Guide
In this section, we’ll give you a couple of methods that work well and are perfectly safe for your pets. Here are your choices.
1. Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is known for its ability to kill most insects. It can kill bed bugs, cockroaches, and of course, ants. For those who didn’t know, diatomaceous earth is a natural ingredient, containing fossilized remains of diatoms, aquatic microorganisms.
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Since this is a natural ingredient, it can’t harm your pets. Plus, there’s a food-grade version of diatomaceous earth, which is even used in nutrition (we recommend that one).
So, how do you use it? You can just sprinkle it where the ants are coming from. Or, you can soak a sponge in sugar water, put it in the same place and let it be there for 24 hours. After that, you’ll probably see dead ants. Wash them off and repeat the process until all of them are dead.
2. Dish Soap Spray
You only need dish soap and water, and you can make a spray for annihilating ants without harming pets. Fill the spray bottle to ¾ of the way. Then, add 10 to 20 drops of dish soap, shake it, and your pet-safe spray is ready.
Don’t try to add tons of dish soap without adding some water, as it will NOT be more efficient that way. Before every use, shake the bottle a bit and start spraying. The great thing about it is that it will kill the annoying ants in a few seconds after applying it. This means you’ve gotten an excellent contact killer for eradicating ants and fleas.
3. Boiling Water
When you don’t have any of the products in your house, it’s sometimes better to return to basics. Water is, we hope, something that you always have there. For this method, you’ll need approximately 3 gallons of water. Pour it into a pot, crank up the stove, and wait for it to boil.
Once it boils, simply pour the water into the ant nest. Be careful not to splatter yourself, your pets or your children. This method can also be used on other insects, wasps, bees, cockroaches, etc.
4. Vinegar
Vinegar is safe for pets and children and readily available in most homes. Use a spray bottle, add equal vinegar and water, and shake well. Spray wherever you see ants, and they will quickly leave the area.
Vinegar’s strong odor repels ants and removes the scent trails (pheromones) they use to communicate. This process should be repeated until all the ants are gone. Vinegar has a strong odor that can linger for hours, so ensure to ventilate the area well.
5. Baking Soda and Sugar
The sugar attracts the ants, while the baking soda disrupts their digestive system and kills them. Simply take around the same amount of each, mix well and place at ant trails and their entry points.
6. Borax and Sugar
Add together two parts of borax and one part of sugar, then same as the above solution, just place it at ant trails and their entry points. It even works in the same way.
7. Essential Oils
You can make a spray of essential oils such as peppermint or eucalyptus. Use a few drops of essential oil mixed with water and then spray on ant trails.
8. Lemon Juice
Mix two parts of water and one part of lemon juice in a spray bottle, and spray it where you see ants. The citrus scent found in lemon juice will repel ants, and they will not return.
9. Chalk
Drawing a line with chalk to cross ant trails can disrupt pheromones and result in ants not being able to communicate where the food is. This method works for more minor infestations with only one or two entry points for ants.
10. Cinnamon
Simply sprinkle cinnamon powder on ant trails or ants directly. The strong scent will discourage ants from visiting that location again. You can also make a spray by adding cinnamon oil to water and then spraying in areas where you find ants.
Related: How to Get Rid of Ants | Safe and Effective Methods
List of Sources
Brown W., Natural, Organic and Alternative Methods for Imported Fire Ant Management, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Making Natural Pest Controls, Peace Corps
Invasive Ant Biology and Control, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Ants, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources