skip to main content

The Kitchen Table

Pet Safe Ant Traps?

12 years ago

We will have my son's cat boarding at out house while we all go on vacation for a week...
Since we live in the country, we are currently inundated with ants.
I now have plastic ant traps out and also cups with a DIY mixture of boric acid & sugar.
I will certainly NOT have the sugar solution out while the cat is here and need to know of any ant traps that will be safe as well...
Suggestions?
Thanks,
Joyce

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

nicole__
12 years ago
I set up the "not safe" ant traps and put them under heavy pieces of steel....so the cat can't reach the traps.
Orchidllauraga
12 years ago
We have one ant trap on the floor of the kitchen that our cat, Jed likes to play hockey with. It is out of date, and he doesn't leave bite marks on the trap. It is funny to hear him in the kitchen whapping the "puck" around,.
Related Discussions
Non-Toxic Plants for Indoor Pets
Q
Comments (1)
Nice list, thanks! I have a dog, so the indoor plants I have are nontoxic: an african violet, a nontoxic fern, culinary herbs in hubby's Aerogarden, and a goldfish plant (which I love!! It is so cool looking.) Used to have a Persian violet which was fabulous and fragrant-- smelled great for about 2 months, but it eventually finished flowering, sickened and died. It was replaced by the goldfish plant.
...See More
Non-Toxic Plants for Indoor Pets
Q
Comments (1)
The toxic plant list helps me pick plants for outside, cuz the bunnies cant/wont/betternotiftheynotwhatsgoodforthem eat it. :) D
...See More
Ants, Ants, Ants-eating my cats & eggs?
Q
Comments (7)
Thanks to all responses. I am brand new on the Butterfly Garden Forum, so please bear with me while I learn the system. Thanks to runmead & christie for the Terro suggestion. I will look for it. Also like the Gain detergent idea from organic kitten--sounds like it's worth a try also. Elisabeth: Great input and good info on the Senna. I occasionally do raise some of the eggs to chrysalis/butterflies. I make butterfly garden "hatching jars" for the children at my grandson's school. WE do butterfly garden walks (my garden) during the spring. My sennas and casias are also covered with eggs & cats. I really need to prune, in prep. for the storms heading our way, but can't do it while there are so many new babies. Rhizo 1: My problem ants are mostly very tiny or little larger black ones. No fire ants on my host plants. Siam: My best nectar plants are the fire bush, jathropa, cosmos (re-seeds itself every year and can reach a height of 8+ feet during the summer), native floss flower (ageratum?)-- please excuse my lack of proper names--spanish needle, & pentas. Host plants: scarlet milkweek, several varities of the passion vine--one a native that comes up by itself in my garden, key lime & calamondin, cassias & sennas. I also plant parsley, dill & rue. Oh yes, I have a large Dutchman's Pipe that the Gold rimmed swollowtail loves. Maybe some spider problems on this. During our winter/spring growing season I plant nasturshims and have collards in my vegetable garden. I would be interested in what you grow and what butterflies we might have in common. Thanks again to all responses.
...See More
baby rabbit trapped in my yard
Q
Comments (21)
bellowbelle - Bless you for taking the bunny from the kids and giving it a good home! It breaks my heart when parents buy rabbits for their kids as toys or as easter presents. The kids get tired of them after awhile. Then the poor bunnies are either released and get eaten or run over by a car, or WORSE, thrown into a tiny hutch and abandoned, never feeling the grass between their toes again. Most people I know 'owned pet rabbits' when they were young. One friend told me he had a rabbit that had been locked up in a hutch so long, that it was so fat, it couldn't even stand up and walk and its toenails were long and curly. His story brought tears to my eyes - really - because Im sure there are lots of other bunnies that share the same lifestyle. Compared to that, the fate of being killed by a predator or car seems far kinder! *Sniff* Im currently fostering 4 domestic rabbits rescued from the shelter. Two are babies that fell out of the back of a pickup truck and were taken to the shelter by a witness. Another was set free in a park and the last was turned in to the shelter by a family that didn't want him anymore because he scrambled when the kids held him. He'd been at the shelter for 14 days and was to be put down that morning. So if anyone wants a garden bunny... ;)
...See More
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
Joyce, I can't think of any ant traps that I would consider 'safe' around a cat. Unless you can engineer a fool proof way to keep cats out but allow ants in, I wouldn't put ant traps out at all while the cat is there.

Terro makes excellent boric acid/sugar ant bait traps....already loaded and ready to go. The one time I had an invasion of ants inside, they really did a fabulous job. But you can't leave it out where a pet could get to it.

You might consider a host of the natural repellents that are reported to help steer ants away...different herbs and spices, etc. Lots of websites with those ideas for you to experiment with.
oldfixer
12 years ago
If you are ALL going away, leave the cat at his house?
User
12 years ago
Do you have the Terro liquid? A drop of that seems to go a long way. You could put a drop of that in door jams. The cat wouldn't have access. You could also put traps in cabinets or behind doors in rooms that will remain closed. Remove them when you get back.
yayagal
12 years ago
Here's the recipe and way to keep your cat safe.
My son came up with a good idea for distributing the Borax/ sugar ant bait. Put the prepared Ã¢ÂÂsyrupÃ¢ÂÂ in an empty soda pop can, lay it on its side with the opening at the ground. The dogs and other animals canÃ¢ÂÂt get to it. Little kids might still be a problem, as they are with a lot of things and need to be watched, but at least I wonÃ¢ÂÂt poison the animals. If itÃ¢ÂÂs windy they will blow away (we get a lot of wind), so I just dented them in and put a rock on top. The weight of the syrup in the can seems to keep them laying on the right side.
party_music50
12 years ago
I've used the homemade ant traps for "grease ants" (mix of boric acid, peanutbutter, and honey) and to be certain that the cats didn't get near them I just fashioned a small box-like covering with one end open and taped it to the floor with masking tape. The cats just ignored them. :)

Related Stories

PETS The Crate Conundrum: A Safe Place for Your Pooch

By Christine Tusher

Get ideas for a comfy den for your dog that works well with your space too

GARDENING GUIDES Organic Matters: Thwart Insect Pests With Trap Crops

By Therese Ciesinski

Add a few sacrificial plants to your garden to lure insects away from the harvest

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Take a Winter Walk on the Safe Side

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Learn how to handle snow, ice and other cold-weather landscape factors to minimize falls and damage

PETS Pet-Proofing Your Home: A Room-by-Room Guide

By Marianne Lipanovich

Not all pet dangers are obvious. Keep furry friends safe and sound by handling all of these potential hazards

FEEL-GOOD HOME 6 Design Ideas for Happy Pets

By Design With Science

Keep your dog or cat feeling safe and in high spirits, and you'll all feel more at peace. Here's how

PETS Dealing With Pet Messes: An Animal Lover's Story

By Tiffany Carboni

Cat and dog hair, tracked-in mud, scratched floors ... see how one pet guardian learned to cope and to focus on the love

HOME TECH Facebook Meets Fido: Pet Connections for the Digital Age

Three new products let you communicate with your dog or cat while you're at work

FUN HOUZZ Houzz Pets: 50 Cats Cozy Up at Home

By Lily Gahagan

Design-Loving Felines Have the Run of the House

HOME TECH To Feed and Protect: Care for Your Pet From Afar With New Devices

You might miss the nuzzles, but your dog or cat won't miss food, water or monitoring with these high-tech feeders and cameras

MOST POPULAR 8 Backyard Ideas to Delight Your Dog

By Marianne Lipanovich

Cue the joyous soundtrack. These pet-friendly landscape and garden ideas will keep your pooch safe, happy and well exercised outdoors

Sponsored

More Discussions

Can we start a Chain Reaction Game - Part 5

103

What are you reading? November 2026 Edition

13

I'll show you mine/ysmy - F 11/6/26

20

Friday/Weekend Quiz

4

I'll show you mine/ysmy - Sa 11/7/26

14