ants + cats

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

i think the ant overlord army has arrived in davis^2!!

they have established a command post near where I feed my cat in the pantry and since cats (or at least my cat) like to snack rather than clear their plates she doesn't understand why i am not leaving her food out.

i bought those little ant traps and put them around but i can't tell if they are working: the ants still come out if i forget to immediately pick up my cat's dish after feeding her.


anyone have a good idea for a counter assualt? i thought of making an insecticide moat around the cat dish but there may be a few issues with that... i thought of feeding her on a chair but those suckers can probably climb and i don't want to give them ideas.

Comments

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

Boric acid does work for ants too and is non toxic to mammals so is safe to use on floors around cats. Even babies, I'm told. I once accidentally ingested some and called poison control and they said I'd need to drink a full cup before things got dangerous. It's used to bathe inflamed mucous membranes, so, yo, it can't be too toxic.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Really? Because it basically kills by being abrasive, I just assumed it wasn't any more safe than your average cleaning chemical.

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

Boric acid, in its pharmaceutical grade can be made into suppositories that work wonders on yeast infections. It's not abrasive when dissolved. Apparently it works on bugs in the ways that their breathing systems are different than ours and destroys their ability to breathe. But very very safe for mammals.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

What I heard was it gets under their shells and inside them and grinds 'em to death.

But, hey, if it's safe enough for genitals, then it's safe enough for cats.

[chumbolly.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how Borax kills, but a great inert bug killer (that works through abrasive action) is diatomaceous earth, or diotomite. Accroding to Wikipedia "Diatomite is also used as an insecticide, due to its physico-sorptive properties. The fine powder absorbs lipids from the cuticle, the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate. Arthropods die as a result of the water pressure deficiency, based on Fick's law of diffusion. This also works against gastropods and is commonly employed in gardening to defeat slugs. However, since slugs inhabit humid environments, efficacy is very low. Beekeepers are apparently experimenting with it, to keep small hive beetles from breeding. It is sometimes mixed with an attractant or other additives to increase its effectiveness. Medical grade diatomite is sometimes used to de-worm both animals and humans. It is most commonly used in lieu of boric acid, and can be used to help control and eventually eliminate a cockroach infestation."