Your four-legged friend may refuse to eat the food invaded by ants. Find out how to remedy this problem and prevent it in the future.
In this article, the term “pet” is understood in a generic way, because the category can include birds, dogs, cats and so on.
The key is to create a barrier that the ants won't cross, but it also needs to be safe for your furry or feathered friend, so they don't come in contact with harmful chemicals.
Steps
Step 1. Store leftover food in containers that you can close tightly
You can use recycled coffee cans, classic containers, airtight bags, in short, anything that keeps ants away. Sometimes it is preferable to use two envelopes. In severe cases, put it in the freezer.
Step 2. Eliminate any ants present
If they are already in the bowl, cover it tightly and place it in the freezer for about two hours. It will freeze and the insects will be eliminated, while the food will remain intact.
Step 3. Remove dry food from the freezer
At this point the ants should have been eliminated. Put it in a colander and shake it vigorously back and forth until no more bugs come out (do it over the sink). This will allow you to prevent the food from being wasted and you can serve it again.
Step 4. Go to the place where your pet eats and make sure there are no bits of food or crumbs on the floor, which will induce more ants to appear
Step 5. Clean the entire area with soapy water or an effective detergent
The soap will remove the trail of the paths created by the ants. You should come back after a few hours and wash it with clean water to get rid of any chemical odor residues.
Step 6. Put the clean bowl in a container that you have filled with water; it should not be too deep (you can use a cake pan)
This way, it will act as a "moat" and keep the ants at bay. Another solution is to take two stainless steel bowls, one slightly larger than the other. Use a high-sticking product (such as Attak) to stick a small piece of brick or a very flat stone to the bottom of the smaller bowl. Once it dries, pour some water into the larger bowl, which you will use to hold the smaller bowl. The liquid plays the role of a "moat", keeping the ants at a distance. The piece of brick or stone prevents the bowl from tipping and sets it well above the water level.
Step 7. Put the two bowls in a different place for at least two days
The ants will eventually stop returning to the usual spot where your pet eats.
Method 1 of 2: Remove Ants from a Dry Food Bag
Step 1. If the ants got into a very large dry food bag, empty it into a plastic container, such as a tub without a lid
Step 2. Fill an eight to ten cm sink or tub with water and insert the container into it
The ants will eventually come out and drown. Turning the food makes them more active and gets them out faster. It may take at least three days to get rid of all of them.
Step 3. Once the pet food is ant-free, place it in coffee jars or similar containers with an airtight lid
This will prevent a new invasion.
Step 4. If ants are only found in a small amount of food, it would be easier to freeze it and just get rid of them
Method 2 of 2: Keep ants away from the bird feeder
Step 1. Use petroleum jelly to protect a manger attached to the window with suction cups
Cut a large piece of newspaper into a circle or heart. Tape it to the inside of the window to create a landmark. Then, use your finger to draw a petroleum jelly barrier outside the window, following the contours of the piece of newspaper. Place the manger in the center. It is best to use this method in a cool, shady area. When it's hot, the petroleum jelly begins to melt and drain.
Step 2. If it is a hanging feeder, buy an ant-warding product to place on the wire you use to secure it
Step 3. To create your own ant barrier, run a string or thread through a paper cup after piercing the base
Knot the string at the bottom; leave several inches free to attach it to the manger.
Step 4. Pour some candle wax into the bottom of the cup to seal it and prevent leakage
Step 5. After the wax has cooled, attach the cup to the top of the hanging feeder
Step 6. Hang up the manger and cup
Fill it with water to prevent the ants from reaching the food through the rope.
Step 7. As the water evaporates, there is an alternative method to that of the "moat":
wrap fly paper tape around the wire, otherwise stick it around the window frame as this product has glue on both sides. The ants will not walk on it, but keep it away from the feeder so that the birds do not come into contact with it. However, since this paper is known to run when it is very hot, it sticks small pieces of adhesive tape from top to bottom; alternate them with fly tape for insects, so as not to create a bridge for the ants.
Advice
- For several days, the ants return to a place where there was food. Move it to another place, distant but practical. Don't put it in the usual place for at least 48 hours.
- Vaseline works best when the outside temperature is around 24 ° C. If it is colder, the ants can pass through it, if it is warmer, it will melt on the window and create confusion. Try to think creatively. Whatever ant problem you have, you need to come up with a method that will make a safe barrier for your furry friend and that the insects will not pass. Water, oil, petroleum jelly, butter or a stick of soap (to be applied as if you were drawing with a chalk) are natural solutions, but should be considered temporary. You have to remember to be careful and observe to find the right remedy.
- Also, ants appear to hate walking over sponge surfaces, even if it should be the only possible way to get to food. Evidently this is because this material is too jagged for their tastes. Just place the bowl in the center of a cloth or terry towel, leaving at least five cm around the ends. These insects hate moving on rough surfaces, to the point of giving up the conquest of the food found in these areas. This is ideal for indoor ants, while for those used to being outside, you don't know for sure: you have to try. In case the towel has only one spongy side, it must be facing up.
- If you hang a hummingbird feeder, be careful not to let any sugar water spill. One drop is enough to call ants to the area. Water the yard with a hose if you think the liquid has fallen into this area.
Warnings
- Do not spray ant poison on food.
- Whenever you use an insecticide, be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions.
- As with all chemicals, keep them out of the reach of children.
- Remember this is a temporary solution. It may happen that ants float or swim in "ditches". Sometimes even dish soap doesn't work. Make several attempts to find the most effective method.
