Ants in my dogs food??!!??
@froggieslover (3069)
United States
July 10, 2010 5:41pm CST
I have noticed that a few times each summer my dogs food dish seems to get ants in it..now I know that the ants seem to come out quite often in the summer time and I always make that even while I keep a clean house anyways I always make sure that I do it 100% more in the summer because we are in and out of the house more, the kids make more messes, things seem to be stickier and it is hotter but still the ants appear. The dogs dishes are right beside that fridge beneath and outside window and atleast two to three times a summer she gets ants in her food bowl and I always get freaked out and end up throwing out the food because i don't want her to get to it but I can't continue to do this over and over it will start to cost me a little bit too much money....
So do any of you happen to know any home type remedies that I can try that would get rid of the ants without making my dog sick?
5 people like this
15 responses
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
11 Jul 10
I givemy dog food outside as she is a big dog. In Summer the ants appear everywhere but no in my dogs food because I place the bowl over a bigger flat bowl full of water. The ant don´t get there then. I try to kill some antholes near Lola´s food with my grandmother´s recipe to fill ants: a kettle of boiling water. That is not dangerous atall, but it keeps the ants checked.
You didn´t say whether you lived in a house or in an apartment. You need different sugestions in each case.
Take care!
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
11 Jul 10
Thanks. But it was not my invention. In fact there are some bowls that have a small place to put water for that purpose but I found out that it is better a bigger bowl for my dog.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
11 Jul 10
You are right Alice. If ants are left alone they will probably find a way. It happens with everything. You can hace burglars in your house with alarm systems, dogs and high fences. But if I were a thief I´d try to get into an easier place.
For ants to do that there have to be so many that you cannot control the environment at all. And you could live in such a place either.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (168126)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Jul 10
I live in an apartment full of ants. Everyday I go through the ritual of wasing ants down the sink and killing them. Itching because they are on me! Oh yes! It's great! What you need to do is put down cinnamon where ever you see them coming in. My problem is I get tired of the messy look of the cinnamon so I clean up and the ants come back. If you leave it down they go! Also coffee grounds works too! I doubt either of these would make your dog sick.
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
5 Sep 10
I would have to go with the cinnamon because I dont drink coffee and dont like the smell of coffee. My dog would probably try and eat the cinnamon and therefore the ants would come back but i will still try and see how long it lasts, you never know maybe she wont touch it and it will keep the ants away! Thanks for your response celtic!!
1 person likes this
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
15 Jul 10
Oh yes I have heard this too but completely forgot I might try this...Thanks for the response
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
11 Jul 10
I used the useless mylot search bar and got the scintillating news that there are ant poisons that will not hurt a dog but not one crumb about what they are. I would find the ant hill and pour boiling water on it and no more ants.
2 people like this
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
5 Sep 10
I am not sure where the ant hill would be, I have the dogs foods and water dish under one of our kitchen windows beside our fridge..I am guessing that somehow the ants are coming through either the window or the floor but not that I can see...I have been told that ants arent going to hurt my dog if she eats them but I dont know I just think that I would not be too happy if I had to eat ants so why would she LOL Thanks for your response Hatley!!
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
11 Jul 10
Good morning, i'm sure this is going to sound strange to u, lol. Take a piece of chalk & draw a circle around the bowls & i bet this should keep the ants away. I don't know why chalk scares them off but have found out it does.
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
6 Sep 10
Hello Antique, someone above mentionedusing chalk and I have plenty of that from all of my sewing and such.I figured there are about 5 or six different ideas that everyone has given me so between them all I can try them and that shoudl definately keep te ants away!! It is going to be getting cold here soon so that will keep them away as well but next summer I will for sure do all of these ideas!! Thanks for your response antique!!
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
11 Jul 10
Hi Jo!
Probably chalk has something that poisons ants in some way. I couldn´t use it in the outside, but it´s a wonderful idea for people who live in apartments.
There are words and sayings in English I love
: I tried to visualise an scared ant.
Today is the last soccer match for the Cup. HUGS
: I tried to visualise an scared ant.
Today is the last soccer match for the Cup. HUGS1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
11 Jul 10
My dig eats I in the porch but the cats have their food inside and I too have found ants in the food bowls! We’ve had ant problems during the last couple of summers and it is quite frustrating! Someone suggested adding a cap full of eucalyptus oil to the mopping water along with my regular floor cleaner. I tried it last summer and the number of ants was much smaller; I don’t know if it was just coincidence but it seemed to work and I don’t mind the refreshing smell!
2 people like this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
11 Jul 10
OOps!! Typo alert!! My 'dig'? Try My dog...
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
15 Jul 10
Here in Australia I find it in the medicinal isle along with tea tree oil, lavender oil etc...It may vary from store to store. Just ask I'm sure you'll be pointed in the right direction. Hope it works for you!
1 person likes this
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
15 Jul 10
Hehe...I love how you put "my dig eats I" LOL
Do you know where I would find the eucalyptus oil at in a store? Do you get that in the herb aisle or in the cleaning section? I could esily try that...anything that may help I don't mind trying.
1 person likes this
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
6 Sep 10
Hello jillbeth, yes quite a few people have mentioned that now so I am surely going to try that because it seems to work...it will terach them little buggers to stay out of my dogs food right?LOL Thanks for your response!!!
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
16 Jul 10
Only feed them what they will eat in one sitting so there is nothing left in the bowl. If they leave some, put the food bowl in a bigger bowl with water in it. The ants will need to cross the water to get to the bowl and they won't do that.
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
5 Sep 10
The only problem is that my picky spoiled dog gets leftovers quite often so there is alot of times that she doesn;t touch her food for a few days at a time but then there are other days when she will eat a whole bowl in one sitting so I never know when she will eat it...I was told before about possibly putting a bowl of water underneath her food dish and I think that might be my best bet with her. Thanks for your response MsTickle!!
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
7 Sep 10
Same problem here, last night we came home and they were in the cat food.
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
6 Sep 10
We have tried those as well dawnald and they do seem to work for a short while but then after about a week or two the ants are back, we dont have an ant problem in the house just in the dogs food. I have put them near the area of her dishes but cant put them to close for the fear of getting her sick...Thanks for your response!!
1 person likes this
@Bad_Daddy55 (497)
• Canada
12 Jul 10
To rid yourself of ants use that fake sugar. It started out as a poison. They weren't making enoough money so they changed it to imatation sweetener.
Who says they aren't trying to kill us..
I forget thet government site that sends me all this info, it works...
1 person likes this
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
6 Sep 10
Artifical sweetner..hmmm, I would think that would bring more ants because of the sweetness but at this point I am willing to try anything!! Thanks a ton for your response bad daddy!!
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
6 Sep 10
I do keep the floors clean although I am sure there are some times that they get dirty being I have two kids LOL...I would keep the dogs foods put up but our dog is one of those dogs that just eats when she wants, her food can sometimes sit there for a few days before she will eat probably the reason for the ants but sometimes is a good thing because it saves money LOL Thanks for your response llbo!!
@blacklongsjl (63)
• China
11 Jul 10
To make some liquid food and teach your dog to suck the food through a sucker.Does it seem so incredible?
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
5 Sep 10
I would think the ants would still get in the bowl though and then instead of eating them she would then just be sucking them up through the sucker LOL Possible good idea however. Thanks for your response!!
@katie0 (5203)
• Japan
14 Jul 10
It happens with me too. Put a plate bigger than your dog's under your dog's plate full of water. They won't come because they will drown if they did.
I have three adopted animals (kids) here and there are more 4 stray outside that we give food to them, it was ants all over the place. It worked, although there are some stupid ones that still drown, the plate is almost clean,for the stray cats.
1 person likes this
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
5 Sep 10
Quite a few people have told me to try this so it must really work. I will try it for sure. Thanks a ton for your response!!
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
5 Sep 10
I do kill them when I see them but I swear the more I kill the more come back...I am looking for something besides me continuing to kill them that will keep them away! Thanks for your response wrongbe and good day to you as well!!
@BarBaraPrz (47611)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
11 Jul 10
Apparently, cucumber peel is supposed to keep the ants away.
1 person likes this
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
15 Jul 10
Hmm...I have never thought about this one. I am wondering if my dog would try to eat this or not. Next time I have a cucumber I will try laying this down around her bowl. Thanks for your response
1 person likes this
