When it comes to storing dog food there are several ways you can ensure freshness and longevity. However, short-term storing often brings about problems that we don’t expect… one of which is ants. If you’ve got a dog that leaves a little bit of kibble here and there or one that’s got a full bowl to visit as needed, you have probably had an ant problem at one time or another. Ants will take over a food bowl very quickly and getting rid of them can be tricky, so preventing their invasion is important. Here are some tips you can try to keep the ants at bay.
#1 – Petroleum Jelly
Ants have a difficult time crossing petroleum jelly since they get stuck and can’t escape, so they tend to avoid it. It’s harmless to our dogs, so applying petroleum jelly to the bottom rim and the top rim of your dog’s food bowl will create a barrier that the ants can’t cross. Not only will the base layer help keep them from getting to the top of the bowl, the top layer will keep them from getting into your dog’s food.
#2 – Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil is a great way to get rid of ants and keep them away. Not only does it smell great to us, it sends the ants running. You can dab some cotton balls in the peppermint oil and rub it along your dog’s food bowl or anywhere near the bowl and it should do the trick at keeping the ants uninterested. The smell can be quite strong to our dogs, however, so don’t use too much!
#3 – Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is an excellent way to get rid of ants and also create a barrier that they can’t cross. You’ll want to use food grade diatomaceous earth, as the pool grade version is toxic to our dogs. Diatomaceous earth is a very fine, crystal-like powder from sedimentary rock that works by cutting the ants’ bodies and dehydrates them. It works very quickly and will kill the ants already in your dogs food, but will also prevent more from getting near.
