Protect Pet Bowls from Critters
How To: Avoid Pesky Pet Food Critters
Summertime and the weather is hot. Everyone is looking to cool off and escape the summer heat. Us humans, our pets, and you know who else? Ants & bugs! We know you are all too familiar with these little critters exploring indoors and will start to occupy your space. Perhaps the most annoying? They always seem to track down your pet's bowl of pet food! Not on our watch...we are here to help. Check out our top tips to keep these little critters at bay below.
Pet Food Bowls: No Critters Welcome
Vacuum the area around your pet’s bowl daily to keep it free of any remaining pet food crumbs. We know pets can be messy eaters when it comes to their tasty pet food, so this is a good place to ensure is kept clean.
Keep your entire home, particularly the pet feeding area, clean. Never leave food out in the open (including people food!)
Store extra pet food in a lidded plastic container, and/or any type of pop-top container to ensure freshness. Our Nature's Select customers often tell us they love to buy a brand new trash can with lid and simply put their bags of pet food inside.
If your pet’s food bowl is infested with ants, place both the food and the ants in a plastic grocery bag or trash bag and tie into a tight knot at the bag’s opening. Throw the plastic bag away in lidded trashcan outside. Wash the food bowl with dish soap and water. Then use dish soap and water to clean the area around the food bowl to remove the ant trail scent (this is a good time to mop your entire floor, too).
Be sure to wash your pet’s food bowl regularly, at least once a week to remove any remaining bits that can build up on the inside.
Use lidded trashcans to store trash, particular used food bits, inside to stop attracting any smells which attract ants.
Make a moat around your pet’s food bowl. Place the bowl of food in a shallow pan of water, like pie tin, cake pan or a food bowl that’s a couple sizes larger than the one you own. When you place the bowl inside the pan of water, there should a ring of water around the food bowl. The water should not be so high that it spills into the pet food. Since ants can’t swim, they’ll drown before they have the chance to get into your pet’s food.
If you're going to use ant or bug spray, be mindful of your pets as most substances can be toxic for pets.
If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call (888) 426-4435.