Ants and Roaches attracted to pet food?

Question

I have a dog and two cats, the dog sleeps outside and her food and water are in bowls on the porch.. Her food is sealed away in a plastic container along with the cat's food; The cat's food bowls are in the house in the kitchen on the floor.

I've noticed that their food attracts ants and roaches. Now we only set the food bowls out only when we feed them, but leave the water out, the roaches and ants still appear. Especially outside! There will be so many of them! It's disgusting!

How can we get rid of these? I'm afraid they might start foraging through the cupboards.

Answer 1

roaches love water.that is why when you turn the lights on at night they are by your kitchen sink.the only way you are going to get rid of the roaches is to call an exterminator they are not expensive about 140 to come in and spray the entire place it is worth it or call around and get some estimates but or kin would be your best bet.

Answer 2

Cucumber skins get rid of ants..its really works. Place the skins near doorways so they dont enter a home, for the pet food, place the skins around the bowls, the ants wont come near the bowls

Answer 3

You can purchase pet food containers designed specifically to keep out ants and other insects.

Here is a description of one of the models:

"A single piece, single mold pet food dish designed for adaptation to out of doors environments where ants and other crawling insects tend to infect and degrade the food therein has a water moat barrier formed between corrugated and alternating ridged rims, thereby effecting a superior elevation barrier to insect travel. In a preferred embodiment, a fluid inlet and fluid outlet port are provided to allow water in the moat to be in constant circulation."

Websites that sell pet food containers with insect barriers:

1. http://www.bugout.net/bowls.html

2. https://www.petcenterdirect.com/?page=sh...

You can also hire an exterminator to get rid of the roaches and ants - but since they're outside the house, it'll be far more difficult than getting rid of pests inside the house.

If they get inside your house and into your cupboards, here's a website for pest prevention inside the house.

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/home/e300...

Answer 4

Food: Most pet foods contain a high concentration of oil. They also sometimes have sugar, both of which are very attractive to ants and roaches.

Water: All life needs water, but here's another thing. My dog, for instance, is a slob. He'll try to drink while he's still chewing and drop food in his water bowl... so it's twice as attractive.

The best thing you can do is remove the source of food for the roaches and ants. Since your dog, at least, will need access to water all day long there's two things you can do.

1. Buy your dog a water bowl stand with the matching new bowl. It'll sit off the ground anywhere from one to twenty inches. Buy the one that's on a wire rack. Now take some vaseline and put a thin coating on the legs. Ants can't cross vaseline and it won't hurt your dog. You'll have to wash it off often, though, as hair will stick to it.

2. Hire a professional who can keep the ants away.

Answer 5

As far as the cockroaches go, other than a professional I am not sure how to get rid of them.  As far as the ants go, use a mix of cinnamon and sugar. The ants will pick up the sugar, along with the cinnamon, and take it back to their queen. Ants can’t digest cinnamon and once the queen dies from not being able to digest the cinnamon the colony will die without her.  This will not harm your pets.