Dog Safe Ant Killers — While ants won’t spread disease-causing bacteria like other household pests (such as mice and roaches), it’s the rare homeowner who wants them around. After all, nothing ruins breakfast more quickly than finding ants in your sugar bowl or cereal box.
But if you have pets, such as a dog, you can’t exactly spread ant killer around your house liberally, as it can poison your pet. The best dog safe ant killers eliminate your pest problem without harming your dog. Ant baits and ant killers can be dangerous for your dog, read more about ant bait poisoning here.
This article will make you a PRO at Kids and Pet Safe Ant killers! We go through a detailed review on the top of the line ant killers in the market today! Ants are pesky insects and they will intrude your house no matter what you do. Some products in the market are harmful to use around pets and kids.
Reasons to Use Pet Safe Ant Killers
Safe and Natural
We all know that original is way better, natural is just the earth’s way of saying “original”, made of organic materials and completely safe to use. Keeps your household safe from poisonous and toxic chemicals. So your children are pets are always safe.
Dog Friendly
Dogs and other pets bite down or smell anything that you have put down in your house. It is important that you use chemical-free ant killers.
Environment Friendly
Insects like ants play a huge part in our environment. As a responsible citizen, it’s our duty not to harm the environment around us. Eco-friendly ant killers can help you in this cause. Find out more about environmental allergies in food here.
What’s the Risk to Dogs?
According to Cesar Milan, insecticides are among the top 10 household items that could hurt your pup. Ant baits, though plastic packages that contain an attractant inside them, are occasionally eaten by pets.
The baits often contain peanut butter, which dogs love, as well as a small amount of poison. The good news is that the poison in most ant baits usually isn’t enough to hurt or kill your dog.
But swallowing the plastic case the bait is in can cause some trouble. The bait casing could get stuck in your dog’s digestive system or could cause some discomfort as it moves through his body before he passes it.
Although your dog will probably be fine if he or she eats ant poison, it’s a good idea to call your vet if it happens. Another option is to reduce the chance of your dog eating poison in the first place by switching to a dog-safe ant killer.
Want to know the dangers Ant trap poses to your dog? Click here for more details.
What to Look for in a Dog Safe Ant Killer
When choosing a dog safe ant killer, you want to choose a product that won’t attract your dog. Additionally, you want to choose a product that won’t harm your dog if he or she does eat it. Some ant killers contain ingredients that do damage to tiny ants and their delicate systems but won’t harm bigger animals, like dogs.
One common ingredient in pet-safe ant killers is diatomaceous earth. Sometimes described as the bug killer you can eat (yum), diatomaceous earth contains the fossilized remains of diatoms, which are small aquatic organisms. The main ingredient in those fossils is silica.
Although it does kill ants and other insects, the FDA considers diatomaceous earth to be “generally recognized as safe.” When looking for diatomaceous earth, choose a product labeled as “food-grade,” which means it’s gone through a purification process.
When scattered about, diatomaceous earth can kill ants and other insects by sucking the fat and oils away from their exoskeletons, according to the National Pesticide Information Center. Ants don’t need to eat the ingredient for it to do its damage. Diatomaceous earth has several other uses as well, ranging from deodorizing clothing and carpets to cleaning up spills.
DIY Ant Traps Safe for your home and Your Dog
Before going all nuclear with toxic chemicals in your house, it’s best to try these natural remedies that make perfect ant traps safe around pets and children. If you live in the slightly hotter parts of the great USA, you know insects are a problem all year round.
Sitting outside enjoying the weather is always messed up by these pesky creatures. But worry not, here is the formula for our do it yourself, ant killer.
The Soapy Water DIY Pet-Friendly Ant Killer
Yes! All you need is some dish soap and water.
You can use an all-natural liquid soap for this DIY. The spray would be an excellent dog-friendly ant killer. You can use it around the house or outdoors as well.
You don’t have to worry about the harmful chemicals damaging your floor, furniture, or any other surfaces as it made up of harmless cleaning products. You will need to clean up the dead ants you spray this mixture on.
Dog-Friendly Ant Hill Killers
Ant hills will pop up in your back yard and even inside your house. Ants are beneficial to the environment as they keep a check on your local insect population.
There are different types of ants some are more dangerous than others, they destroy that veggie garden you made in your back yard and some ants can even sting your children and dogs playing in your backyard.
Hot water
Pouring hot water close to boiling will kill the complete colony! For ease of use, you can spray the ants on the ground with hot water too.
Soap Spray
As discussed above, this spray is a lifesaver if you live in hot climates. It will surely kill all the ants in the hill guarding your dog and children. For bigger quantities, you can use 6 to 7 tablespoons of liquid soap in a gallon of water.
White Vinegar
Vinegar is acidic enough to kill ants, it also confuses ants about different scents. Just pour a bottle of this magic potion into the ant hill and your problems will go away.
Are Ingredients Safe in these Ant Killers
There’s some confusion over the presence of borax, or boric acid, in some ant killers. People commonly assume that borax is a safe ingredient since it does have low toxicity, at least for people.
It’s a different story for dogs. According to the ASPCA, borax can lead to irritation and stomach upset in dogs if consumers. If your pet eats a lot of it, there’s the risk of kidney injury. For the sake of your pet, it’s best to just say no to ant killers that contain borax.
Prevention Better than Pet-Friendly Ant Killers
Often, preventing ants is better than killing them, especially if you have a pet at home. Ants typically come into your home because they are hungry and you have food. According to the Humane Society, if ants come to your house in search of food but don’t find any, they won’t return.
To keep ants away, make sure you store all your food, plus your dog’s food, in airtight, ant-proof containers. Wipe up your counters and tabletops after each meal and wash the dishes. Don’t leave dirty plates and dishes in the sink overnight. Sweep and vacuum the floors to remove any food bits.
It’s also a good idea to use soap and water when cleaning surfaces. The soap will rinse away the chemical trails ants leave, according to Angie’s List. It is also potent enough to kill any ants it comes into contact with.
If you’ve done what you can to keep ants away, but they keep coming back, the next step is to break out the dog safe ant killers.
Reviews of the Best Dog Safe Ant Killers Baits
Central Garden Excel 100522992 Quick Kill Outdoor Insect Killer
Central Garden Excel 100522992 Quick Kill Outdoor Insect Killer
Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer for Indoor
Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer for Indoor
Orange Guard 101 Home Pest Control Gallon
Orange Guard 101 Home Pest Control Gallon
Optigard Ant Bait Gel-1 box (4×30 grams)
Optigard Ant Bait Gel-1 box (4×30 grams)
Safer Brand 51703 OMRI Listed Diatomaceous Earth
Safer Brand 51703 OMRI Listed Diatomaceous Earth
Safer Brand 51703 OMRI Listed Diatomaceous Earth
Terro 1806 Outdoor Liquid Ant Bait
Terro 1806 is your best Pet-friendly ant killer for outdoors. It can kill each and every ant species ruining your backyard. The baits are climate-proof! So just leave them and they will do the rest.
The bait’s scents repel all pets but do contain a small amount of poison called “borax”. Read about borax below. Not to worry about the design of the baits prevents any contact with your pet.
Bait stations can be used inside the house but if tipped over, they mess up wooden floors, something to keep in mind while buying.
Terro 1806 Outdoor Liquid Ant Baits, 1.0 fl. oz. – 6 count
Advion Ant Gel – Fast Acting Ant Bait
Advion is another cool ant bait product you can use around the house. It is effective and will also kill queen ant if you use it in enough quantity. Like all other products on our list, Advion is a pet-safe ant bait and will not harm any pets if ingested in small quantities.
It is advised to use this product is crevices and cracks, it’s especially handy when it comes to tight spaces. Use it in a form of small dots around your furniture, under appliances, and inside cupboards.
Advion has very little active ingredients safe for your dog and other pets! However, if you have a large infestation of ants in your house, Advion will take a lot of maintenance and reapplication.
Syngenta Advion Cockroach Gel Bait
Reviews of the Best Dog Safe Ant Killers Sprays
Dr. Killigan’s Six Feet Under Insect Spray
Dr. Killigan’s Six Feet Under Insect Spray is non-toxic and best for getting rid of ant infestations, but still very potent. Dogs like to smell everything, in this situation the more organic the better. Killigan’s has a sweet scent of cinnamon and clove combination which the household bugs and ants love.
Killigan’s ant killer spray can be used against fleas, flies, moths, and ants. It’s very versatile and one of a kind, all you need in a 24oz bottle.
Dr. Killigan’s Rest in Peace Bed Bug & Mite Spray
EcoRaider – Eco-Friendly Ant Killer
EcoRaider comes with its own tube and nozzle extension, a very handy tool to reach deep inside ant mounds. The formula is so potent that it keeps ants and insects away for over 5 weeks!
The transparent spray won’t stain anywhere so it’s easy to use in the house, on furniture, or on fabric. The scent is pungent at first but quickly goes away.
Ecoraider provides up to 4 weeks of protection from ants and other pesky insects.
EcoRaider Ant & Crawling Insect Killer (32 OZ)
MDX Concepts Magma Home Pest Control Spray
The Magma home pest control spray is totally organic, it is made up of rosemary oil, spearmint oil, and a pinch of peppermint oil. It will keep insects and pets away from your garden as it has vinegar in it will repel bees but does not harm them.
MDX Concepts claims to have the best and most effective formula in the market that is made by the ever so professional exterminators who have years of experience in the field.
MDX also comes with two cool guarantees! Your home will be safe from ants and pests alike for at least 60 days. If you don’t feel satisfied with the product, you can claim a refund from the company with no questions asked, Now ain’t that a bargain!
Mighty Mint – 16oz Insect and Pest Control Peppermint Oil
FMC Talstar Pro 3/4 Gal-Multi Use Insecticide
FMC Talstar Pro 3/4 Gal-Multi Use Insecticide
Southern Ag 08611 Conserve – NATURALYTE Insect Control Insecticide
Southern Ag 08611 Conserve – NATURALYTE Insect Control Insecticide
EcoSMART Organic Ant and Roach Killer
EcoSMART Organic Ant and Roach Killer contain all-natural, plant-based ingredients. Sold in a 14-ounce aerosol can, it claims to kill ants, cockroaches, silverfish, and a range of other crawling bugs on contact.
The active ingredients in EcoSMART are peppermint oil and rosemary oil, two herbal oils that are known to be strong enough to cause serious harm to bugs.
Pros
Cons
EcoSMART Ant and Roach Killer
Reviews of the Best Dog Safe Ant Killers Powder
Harris Diatomaceous Earth – Ant killer with Duster
Harris Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade slices up the exoskeletons of ants, which ultimately kills them. The product is safe enough for humans to eat and won’t harm your pets. It also includes an air pump duster, which is supposed to make application easier.
To use the product, you sprinkle some of it in areas where you’ve seen the ants. If the ants crawl on it, the edges of the diatomaceous earth cut them up.
Along with killing ants, the diatomaceous earth will cause harm to any insect that has an exoskeleton. People have reported that it’s an efficient killer of everything from fleas to scorpions.
Pros
Cons
HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade
If you’re looking for the best dog safe ant killer, diatomaceous earth the way to go. Although there are plenty of options out there, Harris Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade is the most well-rounded option. You can use it as an ant killer, to kill fleas on your dog and you can use it to deodorize your shoes or carpets.
Frequently Asked Questions – Pet Safe Ant Killers
Are Borax Ant Traps and Borax Ant Poisons Safe To Use Around Dogs?
Borax ant traps are toxic to dogs according to the ASPCA. Boric acid does have a low toxicity level and is also caustic. Expect to consume these traps to cause stomach upset in pets, so if your dog has a habit of consuming things they shouldn’t, you will want to put these out of reach.
If your pet has consumed a Borax Ant Trap or ant trap that uses boric acid, contact the Pet Poison Control hotline. Read here for more details on ant killer poisoning and what should you do if your dog swallows some.
Are Terro Ant Baits, Terro Liquid Ant Baits and Terro Ant Traps Safe To Use Around Dogs?
If your dog eats a Terro ant bait, you should contact Pet Poison Control. Terro ant bait is made with boric acid, so while it isn’t immediately toxic, it is caustic and vomiting should be induced as quickly as possible to avoid any stomach upset.
Last update on 2025-01-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Thanks for sharing this. I have several dogs and a cat around the house. I don’t want to use chemicals to get rid of that big ant hill.
Glad to help 🙂
I’ll be sure to try this one instead of using commercial grade ant killers.
Glad to Help 🙂
One of the components I’ve been using is spearmint. It works wonders. You have a good list here.
Is this also safe for smaller breeds? I got a couple of small dogs in the house.