How to Kill Ants in a Way That is Safe for Puppies
Ants have been a problem for humans for centuries. Evolving from small, wasp-like insects more than 110 million years ago, ants have traveled around the world and now inhabit nearly every continent. Scientists have named more than 14,000 different species of ants, making them one of the most common household pests. Killing ants without harming pets can be a bit of work, but it is worth the safety and well-being of your pets. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Walk through your home, placing a few drops of peppermint oil in areas you particularly don't want ants invading. Ants do not like the smell or taste of the oil and will go out of their way to avoid it. Peppermint oil is a good choice for indoor pest control, as it is not harmful to your puppies and can be found at any health food store.
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Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of plain white vinegar and water, and spray it around the perimeter of your home, including window and door frames. Ants find the strong smell of the vinegar unappealing and will avoid areas that have been sprayed. The vinegar is a better solution than commercially available ant deterrents because it is all-natural and contains no poison that could sicken your pups.
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Look around your property for live ant colonies. Ants typically build large underground colonies to protect the queen and young ants, and will travel back and forth to the colony during their daily food-gathering routines. Concentrating your extermination efforts close to the colony will yield faster results.
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Mix 1 cup hot water with 1 cup sugar in a small bowl, allowing the sugar to fully dissolve in the water. Pour small puddles of this sugar syrup around live ant hills to give the ants a source of food away from your home. The sugar solution will draw the ants back toward the colony and will not hurt your puppies if they do happen to drink it.
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Spread a thin layer of dry cornmeal around the hill and along any ant paths. Cornmeal is a fine ground flour made from corn that expands when it comes into contact with liquid. The ants will eat the cornmeal and carry it back to the colony to feed the queen. When the ants ingest water or nectar, the cornmeal will expand in their tiny bodies and kill them. Cornmeal is safe to use around your puppies because it won't swell enough to harm them.
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Tips & Warnings
Check your property carefully for ants; colonies can be large enough that they will split and inhabit different sections of your yard.
Never use chemical ant killers around your puppies. Most contain poisons that are highly toxic to both pests and domestic pets, and can quickly kill young puppies that come into contact with them.
