They keep coming into our laundry and eating the cat food. We can't move the food because otherwise he wont be able to find it because he is old. I was wondering if the outside surface sprays work well???
2007-02-06 23:05:35 · 11 answers · asked by ? 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
We used to have the same problem with our laundry room. I was always a bit hesitant about putting any powders down in fear of the cat deciding to get into it. Instead we tracked down where the ants were coming from inside the house and placed ant traps both there and near the food. We tried the surface sprays outside with limited success...it was far more effective to find the nest that the ants were coming from and directly spraying that.
2007-02-07 01:29:03 · answer #1 · answered by pkp_rc 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't stop ants permanently, because ants emerge from their nests, and then wander around randomly until they find something they consider edible. Then they take it back to the nest, and, with the aid of pheromones, tell the other ants where to find the new booty.
You can, however, greatly reduce the problem. There are some good surface sprays around these days, which can certainly help. Even the outdoor ones, though, can be washed off by rain, and so you will need to spray again after rain.
If you can, you need to find the nest(s). (Ants, like orcs in "The Hobbit" & "The Lord of the Rings", have more than one entrance/exit to their nest.) There you have two options, (1) ant powder, or ant granules, or (2) a spray with a nozzle you can shove down the hole. (I like doing that, I get that sense of personal satisfaction out of it, but the powder is probably as effective.) Either way, you will need to repeat the process regularly, until you can't see any more ants wandering around the old nest holes.
If you can't find the nest, or if it is outside your property, then you may need to go for something more along the lines of a "forbidding" (vide "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant", by Stephen Donaldson for that simile). In that case, use surface spray as a barrier across the doorway the ants are going under, or something along those lines.
Whether you are using sprays or powder, you want to have them well away from your cat's feeding area, so that the cat doesn't take his food out the bowl, and then eat if off floor you have sprayed/powdered.
Or you might want to consider something along the lines of a "booby trap", such as a container your cat can't get into, but which has granules, or a liquid which both attracts and kills the ants.
The important thing with dealing with ants is PERSISTENCE. If you keep at it, and keep on checking them, and killing them until the numbers reduce to a bearable level, you will win.
Good luck.
2007-02-06 23:30:12 · answer #2 · answered by Spell Check! 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Place his food dish in a plate or some such thing and fill with talcum powder and ants can not get through this. As for getting rid of ants permanently if you come up with a formula you will be a very rich person. As for using surface sprays near where your old cat eats it could harm him in the long run as they do have toxic chemicals in them.
2007-02-06 23:29:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can use a surface spray that are generally very good, but you can also buy powders specifically to kill ants. It would be a good idea if you can find the nests in which they are coming from though to use this method.
2007-02-06 23:20:04 · answer #4 · answered by tassie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't really get rid of it. But i would start with finding a new hobby. And stop writing so much on the computer. Do physical activities with your friends. Set a goal for yourself to only stay on the computer for two hours then cut down every month. It could save you a few bucks on the electric bill!!! ;). Basically find something else to do, if you can't look at what movies are coming on, what events that sound kinda cool. Be out there instead of inside here.
2016-03-29 09:15:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a product called Terro.When 1 ant eats it he will go back to the nest and die.His body will be eaten by the other ants.Then they die and so on.If you can find and older bottle ,it seems to work faster than the new and improved version.Word of caution.Be careful where you set it if you have pets or small children.The links below have a lot of information about ants and all the different types.
2007-02-06 23:17:10 · answer #6 · answered by Henry B 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Here are my ideas:
Replace the cat with an anteater.
Hire a couple of kids with magnifying glasses.
Put a plate of cookies out by your neighbor's house each month.
Apparently, ants don't like gasoline, even less if you put a lit match on it.
Put the cat food dish in a small pan of water...enough to create a moat.
2007-02-07 03:30:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Fine grind cornmeal works great.The ants take it back to the nest but they can't digest it. Also consider placing the cat food bowl in plate with a little water in it.
2007-02-10 21:20:46 · answer #8 · answered by mountainriley 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Boric Acid powder mixed in to a spray bottle with water I have found works better than all other commercial sprays. Available in most hardware stores.
2007-02-06 23:15:51 · answer #9 · answered by richardwelchcolumbus 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get Rid Of Ants Permanently
2017-02-26 08:53:32 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋