Ants and Cat!

[TY78910]

Morning! As the weather’s been getting warmer, ants seem to be making their way in to my home through our patio doors that come straight in to the kitchen. The door’s been open as DCs and cat go in and out and the ants seem to take this as an invitation inside.

I wanted to put some ant repellent along the doors from the outside to stop them but after some research this is not safe for the cat. I’ve also seen that ant traps are also toxic?

does anyone have any ideas of safely stopping them coming in to my home?

thanks!

Lemon juice worked for us, along the door sills - we used it neat but you can mix with water and spray anywhere they access the house.

I used insect repellant wipes on holiday which stopped ants coming in the villa BUT I don’t know the toxicity for cats, it just said keep out of reach of children.

Thanks! I actually think I have a bottle of lemon juice somewhere so will give it a go!

I’ve got some nippon ant traps. They work really well.

diatomaceous earth should do the trick too (food grade)

I've used ant bait stations for years - safe to use around pets and children, also very effective:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Home-Defence-Stop-Bait-Station/dp/B07JGK8B8G/ref=mp_s_a_1_7_maf_2?crid=7DVKJGVQ9TAX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3xP7ok85eqM-hyF-wr-Sr4BAJ-sGOKAxUFJZfE2h_mCZY2UeIUKvZw6LNDSwgsRD8VHNHttIsaMY5uanJwXBX9HgVybkDXP01hFdtdiDP8Ckh2ol6-hdg3l03hlqS3ukSNvIGE25G1FGKGIfYKas_ErhX-bUddDuyLCw_uqTS0v23f3GJv4BLPlZcZfKUfCAFp3rOLP-mSVotYpZA5kzpA.2Cq3RvJm-b_CBUTMvtYQoGgb_J7ha5TA0bLzZVTJPlg&dib_tag=se&keywords=ant+bait+station&qid=1744560258&sprefix=ant+bait%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-7

Would you put them inside or outside?

@TY78910 wherever needed. I use them outdoors because that's where my ants are but have used them at the bar I used to work at, indoors, and my brother used them in his conservatory when he had a problem.

The ants walk through and take microscopic amounts back to the nest on their feet

My mum freaks out about ants all the time and kills them every year but they always come back. Are they that bad? Do they spread disease or something? We have them in our garden and they occasionally wander into the house but the never really bother me.

@ClaireEclair no but when there's a lot of them they can be a pest.

The earth around my house is very ant-y. They don't bother me, I only take steps if a particularly large nest appears in the garden, or if they come inside or if they take up residence in a plant pot.

You can get a spray called Dethlac which you would spray on the floor alongside the door where they are coming in. Once it's dry, it forms a lacquer which deters the ants from coming in, but is safe for children and pets.

@ClaireEclair if it's just the odd one or two, it's probably not a problem, but they leave trails for the others to follow, so if they find their way to your food cupboards that can be an issue. I once had ants come into my house and once I'd blocked their way to the food cupboards they marched straight across my living room and up to the shelf where I kept the gin bottle.

we get loads of ants every year and I spray their nest exit point with Nippon ant spray. We have a cat and have never had any problems.

PS: if you don't want to use an insecticide (as I said, I think the dethlac is okay for cats as long as it's dry), I have also had good results with bicarbonate of soda all along the outside of the door. That should be fine for your cat unless she licks it all up.

No idea where the nest is!

Thanks all! So far there aren’t loads but I have a vivid memory of ants in a pack of sugar in my childhood home so I’m probably triggered 😂