Safe ant killer?

Sunflower22

We get ants on our kitchen floor from the sliding door to the cat food bowls. Since the cats are obviously eating around where they are, I don't want to use any kind of poison. Will vinegar and water work, or are there any other animal/baby safe methods?

luvlieK

baking soda?

Sunflower22

How would you use it? just in powder form or dilute it in water?

MrsLeslie030405

bowl or dish of sugar water with borax in it... they sell a pre-packaged version called Terro anti-killer traps at Lowe's too.

tinamichelle

Try this

ETA: I guess I should read more all I saw was the ants and this worked for me but I don't know how the boarx would do with cats

luvlieK

dry, just shake it around their path

Sunflower22

Is Borax safe for cats though? I'm just concerned that one would want to drink the mixture (if it's in a bowl and looks like water, they don't know the difference)

Alirebco

You have to figure out where they are coming from, try and trace the trail back to the ant mounds.  The pour boiling water down the holes.  You can also place cornmeal around the mounds and the ants will eat it and then explode. 

In your house, make sure your seal up all the cracks around doors and under baseboards with clear silicone caulk.  You can also use cinnamon as a natural ant repellent inside - I would sprinkle it and then take a damp rag and make a nice line into the crack so you can't notice it.  We just dealt with ants and those things make a huge difference!  Good luck!

MrsLeslie030405

Sorry... didnt read far enough down for the cat mention... the Terro traps are easier then cause the ants go in it and grab the stuff and bring it back to their nest and kill others.

I have heard of cornmeal helping too cause they cant digest it and explode killing the nest.

Mere7706

I made a sugar and water mix with some borax and dipped cotton balls in it. I put the cotton balls where I thought the ants were coming in. It increased the ants at first, but they stayed where the cotton balls were. A day later they were all gone.

PSU-NCBride

I'm late, but.... coffee grounds. I just learned this from my landscape architect. I'm not sure exactly how to do it in the house, but in the mounds in the ground just dump them in and within a day or two, no more ant problem.?