Ants are pesky insects that can be tough to get out of the household, especially during the summer and spring. Seeing a trail of ants everywhere is sure to drive most people racing for ant killer, from sneaking into meals to creeping into the restroom. However, when having pets, the traditional pest control products can be harmful and even poisonous to them.
So what is a pet-friendly ant bait? Any product that kills ants without poisoning or harming pets, primarily cats and dogs, is considered a pet-friendly ant killer. Birds and fishes are also regarded as pets by those who nurture them to a lesser scale. Chemical pesticides are effective against ants but are dangerous to house pets. Some insecticides can be toxic when wet or consumed in huge quantities, but sometimes they’re harmless once dried.
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What Makes a Pet-Friendly Ant Bait?
It is pet-friendly if people do not need to take special precautions to protect the pets prior, through, or after treatment. It’s not safe for pets if people have to be cautious at any point during the application. Regardless of how gentle or mild an ant trap is to pets, it’s not an ant killer when it doesn’t dependably kill ants.
A pet-friendly ant bait must kill household ants without requiring any particular measures during application. Diatomaceous earth, which has the fossilized remains of microscopic marine organisms called diatoms, is a critical component in pet-friendly ant treatments.
It resembles a bag of off-white talcum dust, with silica as the common ingredient. When buying, look for a product branded “food-grade diatomaceous earth” as it indicates that it has undergone a purifying procedure. Soak a large absorbent sponge in sugary water for mild infestations.
Allow it to sit for one day nearby the pheromone trail. Wipe the killed ants off, wet the sponge in more sugar solution, and place it again close to the ant trail until there are no more lifeless ants visible while squeezing it out.
Pet-Friendly Ant Killing Ingredients
“Pet-friendly” is a vague term that refers to a range of things depending on the situation. Some pesticides listed as pets safe are still toxic or hazardous if consumed in an undiluted or raw state. Among the most typical active, safe ingredients that are usually harmless are listed below:
Natural Oils: They are a type of organic ingredients that come from a particular plant. Peppermint, geranium, thyme, clove, wintergreen, and spearmint oil are among the examples. The condensed form can hurt the skin and irritate the eyes.
Indoxacarb: according to laboratory analysis, it is a chemical compound with low toxicity rates.
Thiamethoxam: is another synthesized nicotine. It is usually believed to be non-toxic to humans and animals once appropriately combined.
Cedarwood Oil: a generic name for essential oils derived from various Juniper plant species. As a result, there is no uniformity, and each group will vary slightly.
Spinosad: It is a naturally occurring substance produced by soil bacteria. It has a common toxic effect but can induce redness and eye irritation.
2-Phenethyl propionate: It can be uncovered in a diverse array of plants, including apple cider, beer, apple brandy, peanuts, guava, and rum. It is classified as a “green” botanical pesticide in Texas.
Imidacloprid: It is a neonicotinoid, which is a synthetic version of nicotine. It is mildly harmful to fish but is deemed harmless for mammals.
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D-Limonene: It is a citrus peel extract that works as an insect’s nerves poison. Since it’s a concentration, ingesting it can be dangerous.
Bifenthrin: is a professional pesticide that is a pyrethroid, a synthesized variant of pyrethrum, a chrysanthemum blossom extract. Pets who consume the concentrate may encounter single-episode signs.
Boric acid or borax: sodium borate salts are natural minerals that are commonly used as pesticides. It is usually categorized as non-toxic to birds, mammals, and fishes, particularly at low dosages.
Diatomaceous Earth: It is the fossilized carapace of the tiny sea or aquatic animals known as diatoms. It aids digestion, but when the dust is breathed, it can be dangerous.
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Pet Safe Ant Killer Products
Most house owners find it hard to exterminate ants completely. Individuals could destroy an ant trail to discover that a new one has been created moments later. To get rid of ants, use tried-and-true methods. The quickest and most efficient way to permanently decimate them is to track the entire colony.
Here’s a quick and easy way to get rid of those ant colonies entirely and safely. They not only annoy the household, but they also breed garden pests such as aphids and soft scales. As a result, an ant infestation can be perplexing, and it is often challenging for a homeowner to manage the tenacious household insects.
Advion Ant Gel
It has a strong reputation and excellent customer testimonials as one of the best brands for eradicating ants while guarding pets. It contains only a tiny amount of the active ingredient, suitable for use around children and pets.
EcoRaider Ant Killer
EcoRaider Ant Killer is a plant-based neuron blocker that kills insects while non-toxic to individuals, birds, animals, or fish. The EPA does not categorize EcoRaider as a hazardous pesticide because the natural ingredients are natural oils and lemongrass. As a result, it is suitable for use around children and pets.
HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth
It’s food-grade diatomaceous earth, which means pests can ingest it. It’s a very smooth white or brown powder, and the five-pound pouch comes with a bulb duster. It is a desiccant, which means it dehydrates pests by absorbing their moisture. Whenever a creepy crawler goes over the tiny sharp corners, it cuts its exoskeleton, hastening the dehydration process.
Scatter a fine layer of it around the perimeter of the house, or use the duster to blow small dust clouds into holes and cracks that ants use as entrance points.
Orange Guard 103 Water Based Home Pest Control
D-Limonene is the primary component in Orange Guard. It is a nerve toxin for all types of ants. They die fast after being exposed to it. However, it can only kill exposed ants. It does not go after the entirety of the colony, and it makes it the ideal perimeter spray because it is functional both in and out of the household.
It comes pre-mixed in a 32-ounce spray bottle and is ready to use as soon as users open it. It entirely biodegrades, so there is no need to worry about hazardous contaminants. Because this isn’t a concentrate, users don’t need to worry about their pets.
TERRO Ant Bait Stations
House owners can position Terro ant bait in any spot. It is a tasty bait that ants consume and transfer to their colonies, where they die within hours. Terro is a slow-acting ant trap that can wipe out an entire colony and has received rave reviews from users. Terro is excellent liquid ant bait.
It’s a food-based brand that’s sweet like waffle syrup and contains boric acid. It kills pests on contact and provides residual control to the house for approximately two months. Worker ants eat the liquid and live long enough to deliver the bait to their entire ant colonies. The gradual kill allows the ants to return to the bait several times. To ensure that the ants only feast on the liquid form of lures, leave the food source away from the trap.
Optigard Ant Bait Gel
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Optigard is a high-quality gel trap for ants. Thiamethoxam (.010 percent) is the active component. It is packaged in four 30-gram tubes, each with a syringe-like tip. The other end is fitted with a plunger, resembling an outsized hypodermic needle. Press the plunger blandly to release a speck of bait like the size of a pencil eraser.
Place the dots 24 to 36 inches apart along the ant trails within the house. It can also be applicable outside, as long as it is not in rain or direct sunlight. Worker ants consume food and return it to the colony. Subsequently, the entire colony will perish. If not in use, store it in a dark, cool place.
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Effective Bait Traps Using Natural Ingredients
Finding ants flocking on the open bowl of sugar when opening the cabinets could be a nightmare, prompting individuals to use harsh chemicals to get rid of the annoying pests as quickly as possible.
Eschew products that require a hotline number in the event of an emergency. Also, keep in mind that the chemicals may be dangerous to pets. The most proven strategy is by using natural ingredients such as:
Find the source of the ants: When starting to notice ants, particularly fire ants, in the kitchen, follow the ant trail. Fire ants, for example, form mounds in the yard and try to search for food aromas. Tracking down the source provides faster solutions for eradicating fire ants without harming the pet.
Caulk can seal the entry points where they enter, and they are small enough to fit almost into any holes. The doors should then be weather-stripped, food and rubbish must be sealed tightly in containers in the kitchen. House owners must trim plants and eliminate any breeding ground or debris for pests in the compound.
Hot water spray: When pumped on an ant colony, hot water is identified to destroy the anthill quickly. When remarkably hot, the water is deadly enough to wipe out the entire colony in the backyard.
Baking Soda: Individuals can instantly eradicate ants by combining sugar and baking soda in a 1:1 ratio. The sugar lures them to the solution, while the baking soda kills them.
Black pepper: It is a non-poisonous substance that can kill ants. It must be strewn along an ant trail, in closets, window frames, and around the property.
Lemon juice or white vinegar: both lemon juice and the vinegary scent of white vinegar deter ants. Ants are less likely to go into the surface when a vinegar and water solution is present. The remedy can serve as a deterrent when splashed around entryways, countertops, window frames, and the rest of the house. Lemon juice, on the other hand, can be an adequate alternative. Citric acid is toxic to ants.
Corn Meal: Ants are swift to consume cornmeal, oblivious that it is tough to metabolize. The cornmeal blows up in their bodies after being transported to their colonies.
Dish soap and water mixture: fill a bottle halfway with water and adequately combine in the dishwashing liquid. Search for an ant trail and then spray the soapy ant killer solution over it. They will be suffocated instantly as a result of this. Soapy water is an effective natural pesticide.
Get a Professional Ant Control Solution With Pinnacle Pest Control Services
Pinnacle Pest Control has been delivering business and residential pest extermination, termite management, and maintenance services since 1998. Because of our dedication to the Sacramento area, we have become the region’s pest management experts.
We are committed to finding new environmental and pet-friendly ways to eliminate all kinds of infestations. Call us for pet-friendly pest management solutions and dependable pest extermination in the East Bay Areas or The Sacramento Metro; our highly trained team is always ready to help!
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor
