In this article, we will tell you how to keep ants out of the dog food bowl. Most importantly, by these methods, ants will not be able to enjoy your dog food anymore!
We choose the best dog food for our dogs, However, we still fail to keep them healthy! Ever wondered why?
Firstly, it is due to the ants that keep roaming around your dog’s food bowl. And secondly, it is because these ants affect your pooch health when ingested.
Don’t worry! We are here for you! Your one-stop solution!
Our methods are tested. They are safe for you to try. So, you can use them without being in worry.
How to Get Rid of Ants From Your Dog Food Bowl?
There are several ways to keep ants out of your dog food bowl. In this article, we have covered all possible methods. Not only that, it is even tested by us and marked safe for use.
1. Natural Ways to Treat
There are many natural ways to treat this issue at home. You can try out making simple and easy ant repellent spray easily at home. Try making any of the listed sprays at your home to keep ants out of your dog’s food bowl.
1.1 Use 100% Peppermint Oil
To begin with always uses 100% peppermint oil and not the extract of it. Using 100% peppermint oil works as a wonder. Seriously we have used it.
We have made this peppermint oil spray at home. Subsequently, you can also try this making at your place.
Things required to make peppermint oil spray
- A Spray bottle
- A Cup of normal water
- 1 tablespoon of 100% peppermint oil
Recipe: Firstly to make his wonderful solution spray at home, you have to mix a tablespoon of 100% peppermint oil to every 1 cup of water. Moreover, You can make quantity according to your need using this measurement. Mix it well and you are ready to go!
Remember not to use the extract of peppermint oil it will not be that effective therefore using 100% peppermint oil is necessary!
Meanwhile when you spray this solution on the surface ants will sense this smell, and then it will completely spoil their olfactory system. Indeed, this makes their situation worse and hence they avoid your dog food bowl. Keep splashing this wonderful spray within frequent intervals to keep your dog food bowl ant-free.
1.2 DIY Ant killing Spray at Home
The second best trick is to make ant killing spray at home. It is just like the peppermint spray, you can try out making ant-killing spray at home to prevent ants from your dog’s bowl.
To make this useful wonder spray you will need:
- 1 ounces of water
- 15 drops of clove bud oil
- 2 teaspoons of grain alcohol or vodka
- 15 drops orange oil
- 15 drops of lemon oil
- 1 empty spray bottle
Recipe: It is very simple recipe you can make this in one step! Yes!
You just have to mix all the ingredients well and pour that into the spray bottle. Yay! And, finally, it is done. Afterward, splash this solution directly on the ants or around your dog’s food bowl so that they don’t come near.
Do you know that lemon oil, clove oil, and orange oil are toxins for ants?
Therefore, as a result when you spray the solution made of these ingredients they die immediately.
This is a completely used and verified homemade spray. However, we have personally used this to prevent ants from our dog’s food bowl.
Therefore we highly recommend you to use this for sure.
If not happy with the above two solutions you can also try making another non-natural spray too at home with help of Boric Acid!
1.3 Boric Acid Ant Repellent Spray
The third-best method is Boric acid ant repellent spray. You can try one more DIY ant repellent spray at home just by using boric acid.
Boric acid is an antiseptic chemical compound which is easily available in any chemist shop.
To make this spray you require very few things
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of boric acid
- Microwaveable jar
- Cotton balls
- Wax paper
Recipe: Put all the ingredients in the jar then put that jar in the microwave and after that heat it for about 30 seconds. Later remove the jar and shake till the sugar and boric acid are not dissolved.
Future, place cotton balls in the solution and keep that on a sheet of wax paper. Then put that wax paper in the affected area of your dog’s bowl.
And truly, his will make sure that you end the trouble of an ant near your dog food bowl or even in your home.
2. Other Things to Do
If you don’t wish to try peppermint spray, you can try other methods in the same way.
2.1 Use a Placemat and Keep Dishes Clean
This can be done by keeping a placemat under his bowl. After each meal, you can clean the food bowl and wash off the food particles from the mat with the help of a cleanser and water. By doing this you can keep ant trails out of your dog’s food bowl.
As your dog’s food smell attracts ants that is the reason that they visit your pooch’s food owl more often. So by placing a mat under the food bowl can decrease the chance of an ant coming near his food bowl. Cleaning the bowl properly and mat is one of the ways to prevent ants from their bowl.
2.2 Baby Powder Works!
One of the way to keep ants away from your dog bowl is by applying baby powder!
Yes, it is true sprinkling baby powder works like magic.
How to use it? Well, you just have to simply sprinkle the talc lightly making a circle around your pet dish. But, most importantly you have to take care of that powder. It should not be inhaled by your dog. Therefore, it is important to make a bigger circle.
Finally, ants won’t cross that enclosed circle made of baby powder around his bowl, and you can easily beat their presence quickly. In other words, this trick can will ants fool and you can save your dog’s water bowl easily.
2.3 Create Moat Around Food Bowl
Making moat around the pet can prevent ants from their dish because they will drown in water and won’t be able to cross the water.
How to create a moat around the food bowl?
Don’t worry we have to make moat around the dish, and we will teach you also how to make it.
Use an aluminum baking dish that you can get in any grocery shop. After that place, your dog food bowl in that baking dish, fill the dish with enough water to create a moat around. As a result, when the ant comes to the food bowl he can’t access the food anymore.
FAQs
First you have to make an ant repellent spray. For that you must have vinegar at your place. Fill one spray bottle with three parts of vinegar and then fill it with one part of water.
Spray that particular area with this spray and then no ants will come nearby that space.
Vinegar has acidity property and ants don’t like its smell and taste. However, it is acidic in nature but, it can not harm them.
Indeed, yes!
Ants usually find their way to dog food bowls easily. And, later, it becomes their part of their whole meal. However, some dogs don’t like to eat their meal when they detect ants are crawling nearby their food.
Just like we humans can not tolerate ant bites in the same you dog can also not. In a word, they can truly hurt your dog easily.
The first and the main reason why ants like dog food are that they have a strong smelling power. They can smell anything from a huge distance. So, when your dog has its food they can sense that smell in just a few seconds, and thus, they get attracted and come by his kibble.
Although, they can also mark his food area with his scent too!
The Bottom Line
We personally, loved the peppermint oil spray method to avoid ants around a dog’s food bowl, but you can try experimenting with any of the methods which fit you and your pooch.
It is essential to keep his bowl clean, and it’s not at all a good thing to have ants near your pet’s food. Therefore, above all, we have listed 6 ways by which you can keep ants out of your dog’s food.
In conclusion, we would say that if you use any of the methods, do let us know. And, if you know a little similar or other ways to handle this, we would love to hear that from you. Do comment in the section given below!
References:
- J. (2022a, April 6). 10 Ways to Keep Ants Away From Dog Food. Avid Pup. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://www.avidpup.com/how-to-keep-ants-away-from-dog-food/
- Stott, D. (2021, October 29). If It’s Poisonous to Ants, Is It Poisonous to Dogs? Wag Walking. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://wagwalking.com/wellness/if-its-poisonous-to-ants-is-it-poisonous-to-dogs
- Alley Cat Allies’ Ant Proof Bowl Recommendations. (n.d.). Alley Cat Allies. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://www.alleycat.org/resources/antproof/
Dwana is our best team member when it comes to taking care of pets on daily basis. This is because she used to be a full-time pet sitter before joining DogLovesBest. Besides contributing her precious knowledge on dog care tips and everyday-use pet products, she still does dog walking as part of her hobby in her free time.