Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, All,

I am in desperate need of your advice. I just came back from an overnight away and my the room just inside of my deck - my bedroom desk area - has been over run by tiny ants. Yes, of course, I had a few "crumbs" by my desk - who doesn't? Now they are crawling around everywhere. Naturally I have to get rids of the ants amd I have a CAT!!!! The cat food is in the kitchen and they have not found that location of food yet, thank goodness. But Luna is a "free feeder", so what am I going to do about her dry food? I cannot put out ant traps or spray. How can I get rid of the ants without hurting my dear sweet adorable Luna????

Please give advice!! Thanks

Lisa

chili powder, ground red pepper, something of that nature. If they are coming in via the deck doorway, leave a thin line on the ground, the ants won't cross it. Just make sure to replenish is after it rains.

I get hit hard about twice a year. Come home from work and out of the blue ants everywhere! The food is easy. Ants won't cross water. Put a food dish inside another larger dish with about a half inch to an inch of water. Works like a charm.

I tuck traps in places the cats can't reach and that takes care of the ants. Takes about 24-48 hours for the traps to work.

But, even if you don't use traps, the food dish inside a dish of water will work.
-----
Tammy
Stanley and Pookey

I've also heard that ants won't cross a chalk line. (But never tried it.) Might be worth a try if you have some handy. Good luck

Hello,All,

Thank you for your replies. I have gotten rid of the ants.

First I sprinkled cinnamon in the tracks of my sliding door. The ants hated that, but they figured out how to go UP the door and around the cinnamon, the little devils. Then I sprayed vinegar water (1:1 mixture) everywhere I saw an ant. Of course, the room spelled dreadful. I washed the desk and the bureaus with the same solution and that kept ants away for awhile.
I locked Luna out of the room (she was very unhappy for two nights because she is used to sleeping in that room)and placed three Terro liquid gel ant bait traps along the route the ants were taking inside, placing one directly in front of the space they were entering the room from. I placed several more of these OUTSIDE the sliding door, closed the sliding door and then blasted the deck edges with some serious ant killer. Then my landlord went out and got Terro lawn ant killer and dusted the area under my deck. Everything was dead within 48 hours.

Terro uses BORAX in a liquid as their bait. The Terro website says that these are OK for animals, but I would take every precaution and keep the cat away from them. Other of their products contain Pyrethroids, which is definitely toxic. But dang, they work, so if you can keep the cat out of the way, use the Terro products.

Good to hear! They hit me hard twice a year, as I mentioned. I do similar to you -- put the traps where my cats can't get to them and wait 24-48 hours and that usually does the trick. I do use the water trick with the food so the ants don't "look" for it if I move it to another area when I use the traps...
-----
Tammy
Stanley and Pookey

Just a quick note about Terro ant traps. They work wonderful, but you need to be patient with them. You put the trap on their path and they attract the ants by the millions to them. Some ants die on the spot, but you need to let the trap sit there for 1-2 weeks. The ants bring the poison and the dead ants back to their nest. It is worth the patience for them to be completely effective. Don't move the traps. They need to stay in the same place for the ants to keep coming back to them.
-----
Gonzo, WoooLee, Stumpy and Squashy