How can I rid my pet food dishes of ants?

Chris
by Chris

I have no ants in my house EXCEPT for around my pet food dish. I can't keep them out of it. Every time I try to feed my cat I have to remove the dish and wipe out the ants and then wash it out again. They don't bother any other area, none outside either - why can't I get rid of them around the pet food dish? Thank you!

  12 answers
  • Patty Patty on Aug 09, 2018

    You might try picking up the food dish and washing it as soon as she's thru eating. Don't put it back down till she eats again. If she nibbles all day long,I'd pick it up each times she's done and put it in a resealable bag. Ants will not cross a chalk line for some reason. Maybe you could try drawing a circle around the bowl a few inches away,and see how that works. I saw this work on TV. One or two ants did cross,so that may not work for you. Good luck.

  • Kmdreamer Kmdreamer on Aug 10, 2018

    Wash around the area with bleach realy well then put vinagar all around were they are

  • Katie Osborn Katie Osborn on Aug 10, 2018

    I have an outdoor cat food and water dish. It's got a "moat" built in. We have fire ants, army ants, cutter ants and crazy ants everywhere outside, but they don't go near the outside food because of the moat around it. Maybe you could try something like that? I have a hummingbird feeder with the same setup, and no ants on that one either. So while treating where they're coming from, you might want to try setting the food bowl in a bigger dish of water.

  • Betty Betty on Aug 10, 2018

    I put the food fish in a bigger dish with water in it. The ants can’t swim so they can’t get to it.

  • Betty Betty on Aug 10, 2018

    Food dish.

  • Bonnie Bonnie on Aug 11, 2018

    I also read where ants won't cross salt. Maybe this will work? 🤗

  • Ellen Gregory Ellen Gregory on Aug 11, 2018

    Stand the dish is a much bigger shallow dish filled with water. A cake pan or pie plate might work.

  • Noreen Schaan Noreen Schaan on Aug 12, 2018

    I used a boric acid solution 3tbsp + 3tbsps sugar added to 1/2 cup of boiling water. Cool and use a small cotton ball saturated with this solution. Put the cotton balls in a bottle cap and place where you see ants. They should be completely gone in a few days. This solution is pet safe too. Also clean the bowl area regularly with vinegar and water solution . These 2 trucks worked for me.😊👍

  • Brenda William Brenda William on Aug 12, 2018

    I add peppermint and lemongrass oils to my regular mop water. So far it has worked for me. Make sure you get along baseboards and around the crevices in the wall as well.

  • Brenda William Brenda William on Aug 12, 2018

    I add peppermint and lemongrass oils to my regular mop water. So far it has worked for me. Make sure you get along baseboards and around the crevices in the wall as well.

  • Noreen Schaan Noreen Schaan on Aug 14, 2018

    You can always Google " how can I get rid of ants.. something that is pet safe and affordable". You'll probably find the recipe I gave you. The boric acid works by the ants ingesting the solution and it turns to shards inside which kills them once they know this ( they put off a theramone like other insects and even mice do it too) to say dangerous things happen here. Not safe. It works excellently and the ants are gone for good🙂👍👌

  • Noreen Schaan Noreen Schaan on Aug 14, 2018

    Also I purchased my Boric Acid at my local pharmacy for around $5.00 which is PLENTY. 😊