What's the most cat-friendly ant-killer?

We're fighting a losing battle against the %^&(*&^ sugar
ants...they're crawling all over our apartment - put a glass down on a
table (eg.the bedside table at night) and come back a few hours later
to find it full of drowned ants. Not to mention the ant-trail running
along the edge of my kitchen cupboards, and the ants wandering around
on my computer desk and the kitchen counters... It's time to call in
the big guns and get the little blighters with chemicals. What kind of
ant-killers can we get that won't hurt the cats?

--
~Karen aka Kajikit
Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life
http://www.kajikitscorner.com

"Karen AKA Kajikit" wrote in message
...
We're fighting a losing battle against the %^&(*&^ sugar
ants...they're crawling all over our apartment - put a glass down on a
table (eg.the bedside table at night) and come back a few hours later
to find it full of drowned ants. Not to mention the ant-trail running
along the edge of my kitchen cupboards, and the ants wandering around
on my computer desk and the kitchen counters... It's time to call in
the big guns and get the little blighters with chemicals. What kind of
ant-killers can we get that won't hurt the cats?

--
~Karen aka Kajikit
Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life
http://www.kajikitscorner.com

My mother and I swear by Ant Terro............but you DO have to be careful
to put it in spots the cats can't get to.
We have found it very effective for those itty bitty ants.......sugar ants
to you but pi** ants where I come from

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.........their web page says not harmful to pets but I wouldn't
take a chance anyway!
http://www.terro.com/antcontrolfaq2.php#toxic

Lorna (Chessie & Nikki)

"Karen AKA Kajikit" wrote in message
...
We're fighting a losing battle against the %^&(*&^ sugar
ants...they're crawling all over our apartment - put a glass down on a
table (eg.the bedside table at night) and come back a few hours later
to find it full of drowned ants. Not to mention the ant-trail running
along the edge of my kitchen cupboards, and the ants wandering around
on my computer desk and the kitchen counters... It's time to call in
the big guns and get the little blighters with chemicals. What kind of
ant-killers can we get that won't hurt the cats?

You could try finding their entrances to the home and spraying generously
with peppermint smell. It won't kill the ants, but ants are suposed to
absolutely hate the smell of peppermint and therefore won't cross an area
that is strongly peopperminty.

The peppermint won't be toxic to the kitties, its cheap, it will smell nice,
and won't stop you trying harsher methods later on.

Yowie

Karen AKA Kajikit wrote:
We're fighting a losing battle against the %^&(*&^ sugar
ants...they're crawling all over our apartment - put a glass down on a
table (eg.the bedside table at night) and come back a few hours later
to find it full of drowned ants. Not to mention the ant-trail running
along the edge of my kitchen cupboards, and the ants wandering around
on my computer desk and the kitchen counters... It's time to call in
the big guns and get the little blighters with chemicals. What kind of
ant-killers can we get that won't hurt the cats?

--
~Karen aka Kajikit

Hi Karen--regular 20-Mule-Team borax laundry additive will kill ants,
is much less toxic than pesticides. It still is bad for cats, but
they'd have to ingest in in quantity for it to hurt them, so you'd have
to put it where they won't track it with their paws.

Sherry

In article , Karen AKA
Kajikit wrote:

We're fighting a losing battle against the %^&(*&^ sugar
ants...they're crawling all over our apartment - put a glass down on a
table (eg.the bedside table at night) and come back a few hours later
to find it full of drowned ants. Not to mention the ant-trail running
along the edge of my kitchen cupboards, and the ants wandering around
on my computer desk and the kitchen counters... It's time to call in
the big guns and get the little blighters with chemicals. What kind of
ant-killers can we get that won't hurt the cats?

You've actually touched on a medium-gun soluton: drowning. For example,
if your table legs are water-resistant, lift the table and put the legs
in some fairly flat containers -- plastic sandwich boxes are good. If
the legs are wooden, protect them with plastic bags.

Then, fill the containers with water, with maybe a pinch of sugar. Watch
the ants do their impression of lemmings.

I would need to check the labeling for their ant product, but there's a
bait product line that uses a reproductive inhibitor, Combat, which was
extremely effective against roaches. They've modified the roach formula
so the baits last for a year.

The actual bait is sealed in a plastic covering with a roach- or
ant-sized hole, so there's no danger of a cat getting into it. The only
concern would be the level of hazard if the cat ate the bug.

Howard C. Berkowitz wrote:
In article , Karen AKA
Kajikit wrote:

We're fighting a losing battle against the %^&(*&^ sugar
ants...they're crawling all over our apartment - put a glass down on
a table (eg.the bedside table at night) and come back a few hours
later to find it full of drowned ants. Not to mention the ant-trail
running along the edge of my kitchen cupboards, and the ants
wandering around on my computer desk and the kitchen counters...
It's time to call in the big guns and get the little blighters with
chemicals. What kind of ant-killers can we get that won't hurt the
cats?

You've actually touched on a medium-gun soluton: drowning. For
example, if your table legs are water-resistant, lift the table and
put the legs in some fairly flat containers -- plastic sandwich boxes
are good. If the legs are wooden, protect them with plastic bags.

Then, fill the containers with water, with maybe a pinch of sugar.
Watch the ants do their impression of lemmings.

Back when I had a job I occasionally IRONED my dresses (don't be alarmed,
people!! There is a reason for linen and flax and cotton which doesn't have
to do with the temperature... it's because everyone expects wrinkles)! I
was so astonished to find teensy tiny ants in my steam iron one day when I
turned it on and they started running out the top where you pour the water
in! I felt so bad for them! But I had to flush them out of the iron. I
couldn't have a colony of ants living in my iron in my bedroom closet!

Jill

In article , "Yowie"
wrote:

"Karen AKA Kajikit" wrote in message
...
We're fighting a losing battle against the %^&(*&^ sugar
ants...they're crawling all over our apartment - put a glass down on a
table (eg.the bedside table at night) and come back a few hours later
to find it full of drowned ants. Not to mention the ant-trail running
along the edge of my kitchen cupboards, and the ants wandering around
on my computer desk and the kitchen counters... It's time to call in
the big guns and get the little blighters with chemicals. What kind of
ant-killers can we get that won't hurt the cats?

You could try finding their entrances to the home and spraying generously
with peppermint smell. It won't kill the ants, but ants are suposed to
absolutely hate the smell of peppermint and therefore won't cross an area
that is strongly peopperminty.

The peppermint won't be toxic to the kitties, its cheap, it will smell
nice,
and won't stop you trying harsher methods later on.


You have infested my brain with the image of some James Bond type
battling ants with a candy cane.

Karen AKA Kajikit wrote:
the big guns and get the little blighters with chemicals. What kind of
ant-killers can we get that won't hurt the cats?

Orange oil.

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
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We've had decent success spraying their trails (and them) with vinegar
and water, then wiping down their trails afterwards. It may take several
weeks though. This is something that your apartment complex should deal
with also, check with the landlord if they will spray. Most sprays are
ok once they've dried, I think.

-Caroline S.

Karen AKA Kajikit wrote:

We're fighting a losing battle against the %^&(*&^ sugar
ants...they're crawling all over our apartment - put a glass down on a
table (eg.the bedside table at night) and come back a few hours later
to find it full of drowned ants. Not to mention the ant-trail running
along the edge of my kitchen cupboards, and the ants wandering around
on my computer desk and the kitchen counters... It's time to call in
the big guns and get the little blighters with chemicals. What kind of
ant-killers can we get that won't hurt the cats?

From what we've experienced, they request all pets to be out of the house
for a couple days and then it's clear for them to return after an
exterminator

Grace

"Caroline S." wrote in message
news:LUHve.21790$FP2.14852@lakeread03...
We've had decent success spraying their trails (and them) with vinegar and
water, then wiping down their trails afterwards. It may take several weeks
though. This is something that your apartment complex should deal with
also, check with the landlord if they will spray. Most sprays are ok once
they've dried, I think.

-Caroline S.

Karen AKA Kajikit wrote:

We're fighting a losing battle against the %^&(*&^ sugar
ants...they're crawling all over our apartment - put a glass down on a
table (eg.the bedside table at night) and come back a few hours later
to find it full of drowned ants. Not to mention the ant-trail running
along the edge of my kitchen cupboards, and the ants wandering around
on my computer desk and the kitchen counters... It's time to call in
the big guns and get the little blighters with chemicals. What kind of
ant-killers can we get that won't hurt the cats?