When ants become a problem around your house, ant-killing measures should be carried out immediately. Various ant killers and traps are available on the market, but not all of them are safe for household pets such as cats and dogs. In this article, we give you some tips for purchasing the best safe for pets ant killer, especially for dogs.
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Which ant killers are unsafe dogs?
Insecticides is one of the top 10 household items that could hurt your dogs. Although ant baits are contained inside plastic packages, they are occasionally eaten by pets, which poses risks to your dogs.
Besides, the baits often include peanut butter, which dogs adore, as well as a small amount of poison that kills ants effectively. Fortunately, the poison in the majority of ant baits usually is not enough to harm your dogs. However, once your dogs eat the plastic case containing the bait, their digestive system can be stuck.
Although a little poison is not strong enough to affect them, it is critical to contact your veterinarian if your dogs consume ant poison. Another good idea is to use a dog-safe ant killer to minimize the chance of your dog eating poison.
What to consider when choosing the best safe for dogs ant killers
There are several factors you need to consider when purchasing ant killers that effectively eliminate these insects as well as ensure your dog’s safety. The best safe for dogs ant killer is a product that does not attract dogs and harm them if they eat it.
Diatomaceous earth is known as a common ingredient in pet-safe ant killers and contains small aquatic organisms, which are the fossilized remains of diatoms. When the ingredient works, it can eradicate ants and other insects by sucking the fat and oils away from their exoskeletons without ingestion. Although it is safe for pets, the recommendation is to choose a product labelled as “food-grade”. This means it’s gone through a purification process when purchasing an ant killer.
Top 5 best safe for dogs ant killers
Ortho Home Defense Ant & Roach Killer with Essential Oils Aerosol 14 OZ, Brown/A
The Ortho Home Defense Ant & Roach Killer with Essential Oils is one of the best for dogs ant killers. The active ingredients are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cinnamon Oil, Geraniol, Castor Oil, Mint Oil, and Clove Oil. So they are safe to use around kids and pets when used as directed. Furthermore, this spray is tested and proven to start killing ants and roaches in seconds. This means it will immediately give you free-insect spaces after application. In addition, the spray is effective to apply at any angle to kill ants and roaches.
EcoLogic 14 Ounce Ant and Roach Killer Aerosol, Also Kills Spiders & Crickets
This product is formulated with cornmint oil, cinnamon oil and clove oil as the active ingredients. Therefore, it will put no bad effect on your children and pets. Moreover, it can eradicate ants, cockroaches, crickets and spiders. There is including black widow spiders in the home, lawn and garden by contact, so there is no concern about insect appearance in your living spaces.
In addition, we can apply it along and behind baseboards, around and beneath appliances and beneath and behind sinks as well as in areas where we often found insects. For example, cracks and corners, around pipes, plumbing, waste containers and in dark corners of rooms, cabinets and closets. To get the maximum effectiveness, the recommendations is that to spray the treatment areas, so that the spray contact as many ants and other insects as possible.
Raid Essentials Ant Spider, and Roach Killer Aerosol Spray, Child & Pet Safe, Kills Insects Quickly, for Indoor Use, 10 oz
The Raid Essentials Ant, Spider & Roach Killer is seen as a product that is safe to use around pets and children because it is formulated with essential oils. Moreover, it is quick and effective for killing ants, spiders, roaches and other crawling insects. For these reasons, this spray is ideal for controlling insects around your home without worrying about the risk to your pets and children.
Additionally, you can spray it directly in and on cracks, crevices, behind baseboards, cabinets, walls, ceilings, doors and window frames, and around water pipes and appliances where insects are harbouring. To get the best result, you should shake the bottle well before using it.
TERRO T334B Indoor Multi-Surface Liquid Ant Bait and Ant Killer – 4 Discreet Ant Bait Stations – Kills Common Household Ants
They are effective to kill the entire colony of various household ants including acrobat, crazy, ghost, little black and other sweet-eating ants by slow active ingredients. The bait works slowly, which gives ants time to carry the bait to the nest to share it with others. The number of ants visiting the bait stations will significantly decrease within just a few days of application.
In addition, you can put the bait stations flat or adhere them to other surfaces thanks to adhesive strips, which allows you to get the baits as close to the ant activity as possible and also helps keep the stations out of reach of children and pets. Besides, the 2-colour design, white and beige, help the stations blend easier with home decor.
TERRO T300B Liquid Ant Killer, 12 Bait Stations
This products are good for controlling household ants without hurting your pets since they use borax as the active ingredient to eliminate various types of ants. Once the bait is placed near ant trails or areas where you see ant activity such as along baseboards, in corners or on counters, the smell of the attractant will lure ants. Then they walk to the station to enjoy the bait and carry it back to the colony, which kills the entire colony. The result will be seen after a few days of application.
In addition, a no-scissors tab on the end of each of the clear plastic ant traps allows you to twist off to open the bait trap most easily. Although borax is seen as safe for dogs,you can put the bait station in out-of-the-way areas where dogs won’t reach them to ensure their safety.
What are safe for pets ant killers and what makes them safe?
Safe for pets ant killers are products either non-toxic to pets or show minimal toxicity when they accidentally contact with them. However, they can still be poisonous if ingested undiluted due to the small amount of poison in these ant killers. As a result, they are placed away from pets. Some current ant killers are natural insecticides that use a combination of natural remedies that are non-toxic to your pets.
Reasons to use pet-safe ant killers
Safe and natural
The majority of ant killers contain pesticides that kill ants effectively, but they are not totally safe to use around pets and children. Therefore, pet-safe ant killers are often made of organic materials, so they are completely harmless for homes with pets and children. It is of vital importance to keep your family members safe from poisonous and toxic chemicals to avoid unnecessary hurt.
Dog friendly
Dogs and other pets attracted to everything in your house, so they tend to bite down or eat anything that you have put down. As a result, using chemical-free ant killers is essential to protect your pets from toxic substances.
Environment friendly
Ants are an indispensable part of our environment, thus, it is important to eliminate ants and not to harm the environment around us. Fortunately, there are various eco-friendly ant killers available to help us deal with this problem.
Which ant killer ingredients are safe for pets?
Some ingredients are safe when used around pets. Take a few minutes to learn some common ingredients to help you choose ant killers that are safe for pets.
Diatomaceous earth
It is the fossilized shells of microscopic waterborne creatures. When ants come into touch with the substance, their exoskeleton is damaged, resulting in dehydration and death. It is safe for pets, but if your pets inhale a large amount of it, they can get minor irritation to their lungs.
Natural essential oils
These ingredients are concentrated extracts from a single plant such as orange oil, thyme, clove, peppermint, cinnamon, geranium, and wintergreen. Some of them both kill and deter ants with the overpowering smell while others just keep them from the area where it is applied. However, sensitive people easily get minor skin irritation when contacting these concentrated oils.
D-Limonene
This active ingredient is derived from orange peel and works as an insect nerve poison. Because it is a highly concentrated substance, ingesting excessive amounts of it might irritate your pet’s throat and airways.
2-Phenethyl propionate
This ingredient is an ester of phenethyl alcohol and propionic acid that may be found in a variety of plants and plant products. Besides, it is commonly used in traps, which limits the chances of it being consumed by pets, thus, when pets accidentally eat it, they are completely unaffected.
Which ant killer ingredients are unsafe for pets?
Various chemicals can be used to eliminate ant infestations, however, pyrethroid pesticides and borax-based pesticides are the most popular chemical. Fipronil and abamectin are also common. Although these chemicals are effective to kill ants, they are bad for pets.
Pyrethroid
Pyrethroid is found in chrysanthemum flowers, which are harmful to insects but not to people and animals. When this insecticide works, it will attack the sodium channels of the insects that consume it, causing their paralysis. Despite its low toxicity, it can cause harm to animals if they consume it before it has been diluted and mixed.
Borax
Unlike some other pesticides, borax is a naturally occurring chemical compound, however, it is extremely poisonous to insects, plants, fungi, pets and people. This substance can cause redness and irritation of the skin and eyes if we contact it. Seriously, we can suffer from coughing and shortness of breath if we inhale it. Besides, some symptoms of borax poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, stomach pains, drooling and excessive thirst.
Abamectin
This insecticide is produced as part of the natural fermentation product of the soil bacterium, Streptomyces avermitilis and used to kill fire ants. It kills ants by breaking down their central nervous system and eliminating them.
Fipronil
Fipronil is a fine white powder that has a musty, mouldy odour that kills insects by blocking the glutamate-activated chloride channels found in insects. The chemical is not toxic to humans and mammals, but it can cause problems. Such as alopecia, change of coat color, and skin irritation, and can lead to broken skin and open wounds in exceptional cases.
The best way to use safe for pets ant killer
When you know your ant infestation problem in your house, it is time to eliminate them immediately. If you have children or pets, it is essential to look for a pet-friendly and children-safe product to ensure their safety. Various safe-pet ant killers are available on the market to help you solve your ant invasion, but you need to read instructions carefully before using them and follow them as accurately as possible. This helps maximize killing effectiveness, and minimize the potential exposure to pets and children.
In addition, you should put ant killers in the areas where ants are active, such as ant nests or near food sources. Therefore, your ant killer works most effectively. Another important thing is you should monitor the results after placing the ant killer, which helps you know how effective the ant killer is and whether you need to reapply it. However, it can take some days or even a few weeks to control your ant problem.
Top 5 best safe for pets ant killer
Raid Essentials Ant Spider, and Roach Killer Aerosol Spray, Child & Pet Safe, Kills Insects Quickly, for Indoor Use, 10 oz
We had already mentioned this product in “Top 10 best safe for dogs ant killer”. You can research more information above.
Raid Essentials Ant & Roach Killer Aerosol Spray, Child & Pet Safe, Kills Insects Quickly, for Indoor Use, 10 oz
The Raid Essentials Ant & Roach Killer is made with essential oils, which makes it safe for use around children and pets, while still being quick and effective for killing bugs. It works well on various insects, including ants, roaches and other insects. Furthermore, the convenient and continuous aerosol spray can treat the insects in your kitchen, allowing you to quickly and safely reduce their infestations. In addition, its aluminum can will not rust and it also has a locking cap for safety.
TERRO T334B Indoor Multi-Surface Liquid Ant Bait and Ant Killer – 4 Discreet Ant Bait Stations – Kills Common Household Ants
We had already mentioned this product in “Top 10 best safe for dogs ant killer”. Thus, you can research more information above.
Ortho Home Defense Ant & Roach Killer with Essential Oils Aerosol 14 OZ, Brown/A
We had already mentioned this product in “Top 10 best safe for dogs ant killer”. Therefore, you can research more information above.
EcoLogic 14 Ounce Ant and Roach Killer Aerosol, Also Kills Spiders & Crickets
We had already mentioned this product in “Top 10 best safe for dogs ant killer”. You can research more information above.
Frequently asked questions about safe for pets ant killer
What should I do if my dog consumes ant bait?
If you see your dog eating ant bait or suspect it has eaten it previously. The first thing to do is to look at the box for instructions to know whether there is any poison in the bait. If it has any poison, take your pet to the nearest vet clinic as soon as possible to get assistance. You also can call our vet and describe the symptoms, which helps the vet prepare the antidote before you arrive.
Are borax ant traps safe to use around pets?
Although borax ant traps are used popularly against ant infestations, they are not safe for pets’ health. Boric acid itself is not toxic. However, it can lead to some health problems such as renal, cardiovascular, or even respiratory distress if pets ingest or inhale it. As a result, you should put them in cupboards, behind doors, or even in hidden nooks and crannies to keep ant and other insect traps or bait out of reach of pets.
Conclusion
In order to keep your dogs safe from toxins and chemicals, dog-friendly ant killers are an ideal choice in the fight against their invasion. Learning the features of ant killers as well as how to use them properly is useful to select the best safe for dog ant killer.