Is Ant Spray Safe for Your Pets?

Ants often invade pet food, which may cause your pets to refuse to eat it if an ant colony is swarming over it. Even worse, if ants crawl onto your pet, they might bite, which can create an even more serious issue than you might expect.

To keep your pet safe, you may need to use ant killer sprays — but is ant spray safe for pets? What about ant bait or products like Terro ant killer? Here’s everything you need to know.

Ants You Should Steer Clear Of

The most dangerous ants to both pets and humans are fire ants. These ants are a variety of species that have recently spread throughout the southern U.S., moving from other countries and reaching as far as Maryland in the east and northern California in the west.

Fire ants don’t literally ignite (though that would be impressive), but they do carry venom and can sting, which is definitely something you don’t want to happen to your dog, cat, guinea pig, bird, potbelly pig, or any other animal that shares your home.

And you certainly don’t want this happening to yourself either. Fire ants are hazardous, and their venom can trigger allergic reactions that could even be fatal. So, it's clear you need to keep these ants, particularly the fiery ones, away from your pets.

Are There Any Ant Killers Safe for Pets?

Many products on the market are designed to kill insects, including ant baits that can eradicate entire colonies. However, if you have pets, it’s crucial to choose a product that won’t harm them.

Some ant sprays are safe for pets. For example, Raid claims on its website that its ant and roach killer is harmless to pets. The product is effective against carpenter ants, Argentine ants, pharaoh ants, and harvester ants.

There are also pet-friendly ant control options. Food-grade diatomaceous earth can help manage an ant problem, and you can apply it along ant trails. This powder contains sharp silica, which cuts through ants' exoskeletons and dehydrates them.

The Pros and Cons of Fipronil

Fipronil is another choice; it’s a slow-acting ant poison that has shown no toxicity in dogs and cats. Long-term studies on humans suggest it’s likely safe. It’s included in various products like PetArmor and Frontline, which protect pets from ants.

These products can be found easily at pet stores and online.

However, exercise caution when using fipronil on pets other than cats and dogs. It can be lethal to rabbits, some types of birds, and reptiles.

While fipronil might be the perfect solution for your pet's ant issue, it's important to research how it affects other animals — especially if you have a bunny who enjoys cozying up with your kitten or puppy. Ants are troublesome, but you don’t want your solution to create a bigger problem.

How to Protect Your Pet From Ants

While ant killers may help with your pest problem, it’s equally important to keep your pets safe from ants. Here are some strategies to try.

1. Keep Your Pet Inside

Ants are creatures typically found outdoors. By keeping your pet inside, you're greatly reducing the chances of them crossing paths with these tiny six-legged critters.

Of course, not all pets are fond of staying indoors, and many people enjoy letting their cats and dogs roam the backyard. No judgment here, but if you have an outdoor pet, it’s wise to regularly check the yard for ant mounds and eliminate them when spotted.

Ant poisons are available to eliminate the pests, or you can hire an exterminator. Just ensure that whatever method you use is safe for your pets.

If fire ants manage to crawl onto your outdoor pet (and they'll surely alert you with their noisy presence), carefully remove them by hand or with a brush — avoid using water, as it only agitates the ants further. Be sure to wear gloves to protect yourself from getting bitten.

2. Keep Food Stored Properly (And Away From Your Pets)

Even if you don’t have an outdoor pet, ants can still find their way into your home. The best way to handle this is to prevent the problem before it starts.

Ants, much like us, are always hunting for food. Once they discover it, they leave behind a chemical trail to alert others and guide them to the feast.

To keep ants from invading your home, particularly the areas where your pets hang out, store all food in airtight containers or in the fridge, and be sure to clean up any crumbs after meals and snacks.

Make it a habit to immediately dispose of used food by either throwing it away or putting it down the disposal unit in your sink. Take out the trash daily. This way, ants may still find food, but with any luck, it’ll be away from your home — and your pet.

And don’t let your pet rummage through the trash. That’s practically an invitation for an insect invasion!

3. Create a Barrier Around Your Pet's Food Bowl

Despite your best efforts to remove loose food from your house, there’s one place where food often sits exposed: your pet's food bowl. Many pet owners leave food out so that their pets — dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. — can enjoy a meal whenever they feel hungry.

This is great for your pet, but it's a paradise for any ant that stumbles upon this feast. Before long, the ant will alert its friends, and soon a full-blown ant banquet will begin. Once the bowl is overrun, your pet may refuse to eat from it — or even worse, may end up with ants crawling on them.

If this has become an issue at your home, consider food bowls designed with built-in "moats". These bowls feature an inner and outer bowl separated by rings of water, which deters ants. Your pet can reach the food by leaning over the moat, but the ants will drown if they attempt to cross.

Alternatively, you can create your own ant-proof cat bowl by filling a pie tin with a shallow layer of water and placing the cat bowl inside it, essentially creating a homemade moat. There are also commercially available ant barriers coated with a sticky substance that ants can't cross.

Unfortunately, pets tend to be messy eaters and may leave food outside the protective bowl. Be sure to clean up any leftover food promptly.

4. Trap the Ants (Or Mislead Them)

Once ants make their way indoors, you can use plastic ant traps that contain bait to attract the ants. They consume the poison, which is not accessible to pets, children, or overly curious adults, and then they leave to die elsewhere.

However, if the ants remain determined to find their way to your pet's food bowl, you can throw them off the scent. When ants discover a food source, they leave behind a trail of formic acid, which guides other ants directly to the food. This trail is invisible to humans but acts like a neon sign for the ants, saying, "Good eats this way!"

You can spot a formic acid trail in your home when you notice a large number of ants following the same path along walls and ceilings, typically leading to a food source.

To outsmart the ants, scrub the trail with soap and water to erase the formic acid. For an extra layer of confusion, apply some vinegar, which has its own acid, to the ant path. This makes it hard for the ants to detect the formic acid, preventing them from finding the food source.