[kangamitroo]

we have an old house with innumerable cracks that i can't seem to seal. especially after a rain, we end up with ants near our windows.

any pet-friendly ideas for how to repel and/or trap them? they keep getting into the cat's food, and i don't want them heading to anything else.

thanks!

 

[Spastica]

White vinegar works really well - so does peppermint essential oil. Just spray the cracks and wipe down surfaces with vinegar. You can add some peppermint essential oil to the vinegar.

Arm and Hammer makes a carpet fresh suitable for pets (Pet Fresh), which has a lot of insect repellant essential oils and is still safe for pets. You can try that too (sprinkle that around, stuff it in cracks, etc).

 

[kangamitroo]

thank you for the suggestion. luckily i have peppermint oil in the house. i'm going to go try it.

 

[Nan'sMom]

Lemon juice on all doorways/windowsills, but not where it can get on your cats (I believe that I read that citrus is toxic to cats). Can you put a "moat" around your cats' dishes? So you'd get a big pie pan of water and put the cat dish in it. This works since ants won't cross water. Another helpful hint is to kill every ant you see--I know it sounds awful, but I think they have some knowledge oof places where ants get killed and then don't come back there. A friend told me and I tried it and it actually helped a great deal.

We have more ants than I'd like as well, especially with kids dropping food everywhere! Good luck!

 

[nancythepancy]

If you can pinpoint their entry point, cinnamon worked great for us! Stopped them cold!