Whether you have fire ants in your yard or your home is crawling with carpenter ants, you can’t just pick any insecticide and spray it all over the place. Here are some of the best pet safe ant killers you should consider.
Top 3 - Pet Safe Ant Killers
Many pesticides and insecticides out there can be harmful to animals, as well as humans, even if not ingested. Natural ingredients can be very efficient too when used in specially formulated sprays or baits. Check out my top picks to see how you can take a safer approach to treating your ant infestation.
7 Best Pet Safe Ant Killers in Multiple Formats
Diatomaceous earth is often recommended as the best alternative to chemical insecticides. The Harris Diatomaceous Earth is a potent ant killer that contains no additives or filler ingredients. Its main benefit is that it isn’t harmful to pets or to any plants on your property.
This natural formula comes in 5lbs resealable bags. Sprinkling the powder on your property will be very easy, as you won’t have to get your hands dirty or worry about product waste. Each bag of Harris Earth Powder comes with a special duster included.
By using the duster you’ll be able to create uniform barriers around the property, as well as apply concentrated layers of powder on and around active ant mounds. Another cool thing about this product is that you can also use it to manage various health issues in cats and dogs.
When you’re trying your best to treat your lawn but also keep your pets safe, going the organic route is always the best option. The Magma Home Pest Control Spray is one of the most efficient organic ant killers and insect repellents out there.
The spray contains mainly essential oils like rosemary oil, spearmint oil, and peppermint oil. The formula also has a certain amount of vinegar in it, which is a known repellent for many insects, as well as for pets. Because of this, the Magma Home Pest Control Spray offers good residual control after disposing of ant colonies.
Another reason why I like this is because it’s safe to use around bees. If you have a rich garden and you’re allergic to bees, you can use this as a control spray. It won’t kill or harm them, but it will keep them away from your flowers and away from your home.
Wondercide is another reputable brand of pest control products. The Wondercide Indoor Pest Control contains a wide range of organic ingredients and it is available in four variations.
You can get this spray scented with cedar, peppermint, rosemary, and lemongrass. If your ant infestation is not too serious, then a single 32oz bottle might be enough to treat the entire house. But, if you’re swarmed with tiny crawlers then perhaps the 128oz bottle might be a better solution.
It’s also worth noting that this formula won’t stain, so you will be able to use it on furniture and carpets. With the main active ingredient being sodium lauryl sulfate, the formula is safe to use around pets. It’s also worth noting that the spray acts quickly.
It’s a kill-on-contact solution for crawlers and fliers, ideal for dealing with most ants, roaches, and even fleas. But, I have to add that its ant queen killing properties are not all that impressive, mostly because the ants won’t be able to carry the formula back to the mound and infect the queen.
The EcoRaider Ant Killer comes in 32oz bottles with a built-in sprayer. The sprayer has an adjustable nozzle and a tube extension. Thanks to the extension, this ant killer will also be efficient at eliminating ant queens. You can slide the tube into tight crevices and other hard to reach areas.
Even though this formula kills on contact, it’s still quite versatile, mostly because of the tube that lets you disperse the spray anywhere you want, including inside mounds. The residual control it provides is also impressive. The EcoRaider Ant Killer acts as a barrier for up to four weeks, and even longer for some ant species.
The fact that the spray doesn’t stain is also convenient. This allows you to use it on furniture, carpets, and other sensitive surfaces or fabrics. The scent is not overpowering either. It’s a citrus smell, that has a kick to it at first, but the odor goes away fast. The best thing about it is that the formula won’t lose its residual control.
The Harris Ant Spray may not be 100% natural or organic, but it has a good blend of natural and artificial ingredients that can eliminate ants without causing harm to pets. You can use this formula indoors and outdoors, although I recommend using the spray mostly inside your home.
The residual control will be significantly better inside since the formula isn’t exactly weatherproof. Besides, this spray, like many other ant killers I recommend, doesn’t stain furniture or carpets.
As is the case with most other ant killers made with essential oils, the smell is pleasant, but it might not agree with all pets. That being said, the formula won’t harm pets on contact.
You may also appreciate the fact that the Harris Ant Spray will not kill ants on contact. This means that they will be able to carry it back to their queen. The formula takes up to 30 minutes to work, so if you spray it close to the mound, you have a high chance of killing the queen too.
The Terro 1806 offers six liquid ant baits, ideal for outdoor use. It’s a set it and forget it solution made to deal with a wide variety of ant species. One of the best things about it is obviously the flexible placement.
Due to the unique design, the bait stations are also protected from the elements, which means that the formula won’t get watered down or dried out by sun exposure. You can additionally stabilize the bait stations with stakes and make them even more resistant to windy and rainy weather.
You should also know that the formula is not exactly pet-friendly because it does contain some borax. However, due to the design of the bait stations, your pets shouldn’t be able to reach it. On top of that, the odor of the bait is not appealing to pets and may even repel some of them from even coming near it.
Because you’re getting six bait stations with the Terro 1806, this is also a cost-effective solution for dealing with multiple ant colonies. Finally, you could also use this inside your home, but only if you place the bait station in a corner for increased stability. The formula might stain wood flooring if the bait station gets tipped over by accident.
Non-toxic formulas are sometimes the only viable way of getting rid of ant infestations. If you have pets that are unfazed by powerful odors and they tend to lick and smell everything, the more organic ingredients the formula has the better.
Dr. Killigan’s Six Feet Under Insect Spray is non-toxic, but still very potent. It has a pleasant scent thanks to a combination of cinnamon and clove, and it’s subtle enough to attract ants instead of scaring them away.
The formula is effective against ticks, fleas, flies, and pantry moths too, not just your garden variety ants. Therefore, you can get a lot of use out of a single 24oz spray bottle. But, I should point out that there’s no nozzle extension included. If you want to disperse this spray deeper into crevices, say to deal with carpenter ants, you’ll have to get creative or go shopping.
I also like that the spray is fast-acting but doesn’t kill on contact. This allows worker ants to spread it inside the mound. Among the ingredients, you’ll find cottonseed oil and clove oil which are known ant killing agents. Neither of them is particularly harmful to pets.
What Are Pet Safe Ant Killers
There’s two ways of looking at this. For one, a pet safe ant killer can be any type of ant killer gel, liquid, granulated, or spray formula that doesn’t contain chemicals or other ingredients that can make your pets ill in any way.
Secondly, you can consider any ant killer that doesn’t attract animals a pet safe ant killer. If they don’t attract animals, whether they’re based on natural or chemical formulas, ant killers are highly unlikely to harm your pets, hence the safe part.
How Much Do Ingredients Matter?
Don’t think only of your pet’s safety when you’re looking for a potent ant killer. The list of ingredients will also influence the efficiency of whatever formula you’re going to be using. Keep in mind that not all ants fall prey to the same things.
There are ants that like sugary things and ants that prefer protein-rich and fatty substances, like fire ants. Depending on what type of ants have settled on your property, you might need a very specific formula to deal with them once and for all.
If you see products that use clove oil, cottonseed oil, or vinegar, you should know that they are effective at killing a wide range of ants. Some will work better than others in terms of speed and some will offer better residual control.
Another main ingredient you should look for is diatomaceous earth. It is known to be harmful to ants but surprisingly beneficial for pets. It’s often a natural remedy for various health problems associated with digestion or aging.
Does the Price Reflect Efficiency?
As with any other type of consumable product, it’s easy to believe that a higher price tag is somehow reflective of quality. When it comes to ant killers, you can get a pretty good idea of the formula’s efficiency by reading the list of ingredients.
Price might also infer a larger quantity of product or a more expensive bottle or dispersal system. Both are worth an extra buck when dealing with certain ant species. If you look specifically at carpenter ants that like to burrow into wood, you would be better off with a sprayer bottle with a long nozzle tube.
That will let you stick it deeper into crevices and make sure the insecticide reaches the ant queen. Paying a higher price for a better delivery system is not a bad idea if you want to rid your property of annoying insects fast and with minimal product waste.
Drive the Ants Away Once and for All
As you can see, ant killer formulas don’t need to be completely natural in order to be safe to use in a household with pets. However, natural organic ant killers should be preferred whenever they fit within your budget.
All products on this list can kill ants while also providing some residual control, which is even better since you won’t need to invest in other control substances. Pick the one that you think your pets will respond better to and deal with your ant colonies once and for all.