5 Best Pet Safe Ant Killers – Natural, Eco-Friendly and Effective!

We have reviewed the best pet safe ant killers on the market, which you can safely use around any pet – from big dogs to tiny hamsters.
By
Phyllis McMahon
Phyllis McMahon
Research Writer
Phyllis teaches English Literature at a local college and loves writing in her free time. She’s also a great cook – her British beef Wellington is something the best res read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Chas Kempf
Chas Kempf
Expert Consultant
Chas works in a professional pest control company and knows all the nuances of this job. Also, he’s a fantastic tennis player and loves to organize BBQ parties for his fam read more
Last updated: August 18, 2023
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Ants are annoying but not annoying enough to risk the other loved ones in your home. There are do-it-yourself (DIY) recipes, but they often lack the power to get the job done once and for all. That’s where the best pet safe ant killer options come in.We know what residents are looking for when it comes to ant killers that are safe for the family pets. Throughout the review, we are highlighting these notable features such as ingredients, scent, power, and price tag. These products are all safe and nontoxic for pets and kids that can be used throughout your home and outside.

Read on to find the best pet-friendly brand options available on the pesticide market for ants.

Quick Summary

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9.7
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9.3
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.5
9.8
Features
  • Type: spray
  • Use: indoor, outdoor
  • Scent: citrus
  • Volume: 16 oz.

Other features: bio-insecticide technology; toxin-free; dermatologically safe; child and pet friendly

EcoRaider Ant & Crawling Insect Killer can kill different household pests such as mosquitoes, spiders, cockroaches, bed bugs, ticks, and fleas, to name just a couple. This is one of the most effective sprays for both inside and outside the home.

As our editor’s choice, this is a perfect choice for any home. In the search for a kid and pet friendly ant spray, this is a natural spray that’s easy to use with natural ingredients. Its ease doesn’t limit its effectiveness. EcoRaider is a brand that’s safe for pets and kids and is best for those who care about the environment.

    Why is it special?
  • What we like the most about this brand is its effectiveness. This formula created by EcoRaider is not only meant to kill ants but to dissuade further ants from accessing the area; it disrupts the ant’s pheromone trail preventing ant colonies from reentering. This is a residual effect that can last up to four weeks. EcoRaider Ant & Crawling kills 100% of ants in under 60 seconds. That is an impressive result.
    What are the flaws?
  • What could be better about EcoRaider Ant & Crawling Insect Killer is its scent. This spray leaves its customers satisfied for several reasons. However, there is a downside. This brand has a strong orange smell that can be off-putting to users. The potent organic ingredients that create an efficient spray also leave a potent orange smell that lingers. This scent isn’t as noticeable outdoors but can be overwhelming to those with sensitives or allergies when used indoors.
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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 7903 people in the past 30 days
9.6
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
9.3
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.2
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.5
9.6
Features
  • Type: spray
  • Use: indoor
  • Scent: clove, cinnamon
  • Volume: 24 oz.

Other features: natural clove and cottonseed oils; nontoxic; child and pet friendly

Dr. Killigan’s Six Feet Under spray is a morbid name, but that’s the point. The point of these sprays and this review is to get rid of pesky ants. This spray does exactly that and so much more. Its formula is proven to kill not only ants but also other infestations.

As a premium pick, there’s a high expectation for this product. Trust us, it delivers. This is a nontoxic recipe with natural ingredients, including clove and cottonseed oils making it child and pet friendly. This can be sprayed throughout the home without worry as it’s one of the best pet-safe fire ant killers and is a great option for those who want to use spray indoor.

    What makes it special?
  • What we love about this product is its versatility. An adjustable nozzle with a trigger sprayer provides a convenient "spray" or "stream" feature for easy and effective insect targeting. Using this trigger sprayer, one can get into all the nooks and crannies that allow ants access to your home. This nontoxic spray is fantastic for getting rid of not only ant infestations but also flies, moths, and fleas. It’s versatile and one of a kind.
    What cons did we find?
  • What we didn’t love about this product is that the versatility is limited to the nozzle. There aren’t larger or smaller quantities of this spray. Other brands and their products provide differing sizes for different-sized jobs. One bottle can cover up to 400 square feet! If you have an infestation over 400 square feet, you will need to buy additional bottles.
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Consumer Engagement
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9.3
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
9.1
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.0
Features & Benefits
Product Review
8.8
9.3
3
Best Indoor Fire Ant Killer

EcoSmart Natural Aerosol Spray Can

Features
  • Type: aerosol spray
  • Use: indoor
  • Scent: cinnamon
  • Volume: 14 oz.

Other features: plant essential oils; environmentally friendly; no chemicals; child and pet friendly; made in the USA

EcoSmart ant and roach killer spray is one of the top brands on the market right now. With its 100% natural organic compound, it’s one of the most effective sprays on our list. We love this product for its high-quality ingredients and essential oils that combine to create a potent pesticide.

The provided nontoxic ingredients make it an excellent option for those with lots happening in the home. With kids and pets, it’s essential to have quality and natural ingredients. You don’t need to worry about harming your cats, dogs, rabbits, gerbils, or household pets.

    What makes it special?
  • This aerosol spray doesn’t just stop at average ants but also kills over 50 different types of ants, including carpenter ants, fire ants, sugar ants, bullet ants, and many more. It can kill other pests that can not only be annoying but a health risk. These include cockroaches, spiders, fruit flies.
    What cons did we find?
  • What we didn’t like about this choice is that it has a rather strong wintergreen odor. Natural and organic ingredients do provide an odor. The ingredients include geraniol, cinnamon oil, lemongrass oil, and rosemary oil, among other essential oils. Using this product indoors may prove to be overwhelming to the senses. Using this product outdoors provides no problems at all as the air can dissipate quickly and easily.
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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 7502 people in the past 30 days
9.1
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
8.6
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
8.9
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.0
9.1
Features
  • Type: spray
  • Use: outdoor
  • Scent: cedar
  • Volume: 16 oz.

Other features: plant-powered spray; natural oils; applicator required; child and pet friendly

Wondercide is a well-known brand with well-known reliability and quality. They are handcrafted in the United States of America with eco-friendly ingredients and no toxic chemicals. It’s natural and nontoxic to pets, animals, children, and the environment. Also, Wondercide comes in both 32 oz and 128 oz bottles.

This ant killer is best for those who are planning to use it outdoor. What makes this brand fantastic is that its earth, pet, and child friendly. This natural pesticide is a fast-acting spray that comes in differing-sized bottles for any size of an infestation. The formula Wondercide contains organic and natural ingredients such as cedar, rosemary, lemongrass, and peppermint scents.

    Why are we impressed?
  • What we love about this is its eco-friendliness. It provides a quality product without harming the environment. However, it’s soft enough for pollinators like bees and butterflies. This brand is functional against other kinds of pests beyond just ants making it very versatile. This spray is proven to protect, repel, kill, and prevent many types of bugs such as mosquitoes, ants, fleas, ticks, and hundreds of more insects.
    What negatives must you be aware of?
  • What could be better about this spray is that it is a kill-on-contact spray. This is fantastic for keeping the ants at bay but not quite at killing the queen and thus the colony. There’s a chance with this and other sprays that kill on contact that the colony will keep coming back until the queen is ultimately killed.
Also Product Ranking:
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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 6991 people in the past 30 days
8.9
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
8.4
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
8.7
Features & Benefits
Product Review
8.7
8.9
5
Best Pet Safe Ant Bait

RESCUE! Ant Gel Baits

Features
  • Type: bait gel
  • Use: indoor
  • Scent: not specified
  • Volume: 92 oz.

Other features: 6 bait gel stations; borax; mess-free; child-resistant; pet friendly

Rescue is a pest control company made in the USA with a quality and efficiency guarantee. These best pet safe ant traps have the added benefit of being simple to use because they take care of the entire colony. Combining sugar and protein with pesticide ingredients means that it kills the whole colony. The sugar is fed to the workers while the protein is fed to the larvae. This means that the workers, the queen, and the entire next generation are wiped out.

This is one of the best pet safe ant traps that come with natural ingredients that impact ants and other pests but not pets. These are useful for more than just the average ant. It attracts and kills other species such as pavement ants, Argentine ants, odorous house ants, crazy ants, and grease ants (aka thief ants), making it best for those who have many ants at home.

    What do we love it for?
  • What we love about this product is that it’s easy and simple to use. This bait can simply be put where the ants will get to it. This brand is perfect for any home as it comes in a simple-to-use application. Merely open the package and place it where the ants have been seen. It does all the work for you! With an effortless application and setup, this insecticide is an easy decision option.
    What were we disappointed with?
  • However, it’s not as pet friendly as some of our other options. The bait is made with borax, meaning that it’s not safe for pet consumption. Although, this is a great option for situations where one can put the bait away from pets. Remember that this requires forethought not to put the bait in your pet’s way and thus your pet in harm’s way.

Things to Consider

Did you know that there are over 12,000 different species of ants throughout the globe? Those are a lot of types of ants that you could have in your home. That’s a lot of different ants to have access to your home. There are so many diverse types of ant killers that are different for various circumstances and even distinct ants.
Most of these sprays are highly recommended for getting rid of pest ants. However, they may not work for your situation. Always consider your specific infestation before choosing a product. This buying guide helps its readers to find the best deterrent for their particular and problem.

What Makes Ant Killers Pet Friendly?

Ant killers are designed to do just that. However, it’s essential to kill only the designated species but not your loved pets or darling children.

We recommend these safe ant killers because it’s better for inside and outside the home. Whether inside or outside, that requires the ant spray, there is also a responsibility not to kill anything and everything in its path.

However, not all pesticides are pet friendly Trusted Source Keep your pets safe when using pesticides | Government of Canada Many products we use on a regular basis contain pesticides, from swimming pool sanitizers to insect repellents, mothballs, and flea protection products for pets. www.canada.ca , so you need to carefully study the product before purchasing and bringing it to your home. The best pet safe ant bait requires quality ingredients that are not only nontoxic but also actually work as an ant pesticide. This can be a difficult compromise between effectiveness and safety. The reviewed brands are a few of the brands that provide this compromise properly.

Ant Killer Ingredients Safe to Pets

There are many types of pesticides available and while some can be safe for humans and pets, others can present a risk. It is important to read labels carefully when choosing outdoor or indoor ant killers to make sure of their effects.

Below is the table of common ant killer active ingredients that are safe or generally safe for pets and the ones you should avoid using around your pets.

Ant Killer Active Ingredients

Safe for Ingestion Safe but Avoid Ingestion Unsafe for Ingestion
Spinosad Indoxacarb Hydramethlynon
Diatomaceous earth Imidacloprid Thiamethoxam
Borax or boric acid Bifenthrin
Essential oils

How to Choose the Best Pet Friendly Ant Killer

Ants have amazing communication skills using pheromones Trusted Source Ants | National Wildlife Federation Ants are most closely related to bees and wasps, which all have a narrow waist that segments their body. The body is separated into three parts—the head, thorax, and gaster (the part of the abdomen behind the waist). www.nwf.org . These are meant to send ants of the hive different messages such as where food is located or dangers to avoid.

Although ants are typically harmless, they don’t necessarily belong on your kitchen counter or dinner table. Ants can carry bacteria and germs, making them spread disease or infections.

Unless you live in an area without ants such as Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, and a few islands, ants are a fact of life.

There are many types of ant killers on the market. Some can be created at home using ingredients such as white vinegar, oil of lemon eucalyptus, cinnamon, chili pepper, chalk, cinnamon essential oil, coffee grounds, and neem oil, to name only a few. The ingredients combined in these products make for an efficient pest control element.

Type of Ant Killers

5 Best Pet Safe Ant Killers – Natural, Eco-Friendly and Effective!
The most common and working pet-safe types of ant killers are sprays and baits.

The benefit of using these pet friendly ant killer sprays instead of (DIY) options is that they provide more potent and ease of use.

There are many kinds of ant killers. Each has its own merits, depending on the type of infestation you have. EcoRaider Ant Killer & Crawling Insect Killer is a natural spray pesticide which means it’s simple to use with uncompromising effectiveness for all your ant pest needs. If you need an indoor ant baits, the ones from RESCUE! are the right.

Ingredients

Having quality ingredients is vital for not only effectiveness but also being pet friendly. Being pet safe means a few different things in different contexts, but it generally means that it’s safe for pets if it’s accidentally ingested or swallowed.

Numerous ingredients are considered safe for dogs, such as diatomaceous earth, essential oils, cedarwood oil, borax or boric acid, and some plant extracts.

EcoSmart Organic Insect Repellent uses natural and organic ingredients such as Geraniol and essential oils of Cinnamon, Lemon Grass, Rosemary. These are just a few of the fantastic and pet friendly ingredients offered.

Scent

One of the most common complaints about natural insecticides is the smell. This is the general smell of the ingredients, including essential oils. This smell can be soft or overwhelming. Dr. Killigan’s Six Feet Under Insect Spray is pleasantly scented with cinnamon and clove that provides potent protection as well as a gorgeous smell.

Volume

Having a proper amount of pesticide is vital. The larger infestation you have, the larger size you should purchase. Whether it’s a large infestation that requires a large amount, or you want to keep it in storage for when you need it, buying in bulk can save you time, effort, and money.

On the other hand, smaller sizes of pesticides are also handy to have at home. There are smaller sizes for a single large infestation or a simple spritz here and there.

Price Tag

Although price doesn’t impact the efficiency of the product, it does impact the benefit to our readers and their customers. There is plenty of effective sprays that aren’t going to eliminate one’s budget.

Why Are Regular Ant Killers Unsafe for Pets?

5 Best Pet Safe Ant Killers – Natural, Eco-Friendly and Effective!
Cats are highly sensitive to pyrethroid insecticides and can get very sick from small exposures.

Regular ant killers tend to utilize bait to administer the poison. This works well to lure ants in to consume the poison. The problem is that it also works on pets. Having a poison in bait for anything from insects to mice to other infestations means it’s accessible to pets and children.

FAQ

What should I do if my dog eats ant bait?

If a pet or child eats ant bait, the best thing to do is to look at the box for instructions. If the package contains any toxins, contact poison control for your area and listen to their instructions.

Pet friendly ant baits aren’t as much of a worry. These typically have borax and shouldn’t be ingested by a hungry puppy or a curious toddler. They need to be put out of reach of pets and children.

Are borax ant traps safe to use around pets?

Borax ant traps are some of the most popular ant traps. However, these kinds of traps aren’t healthy for pets. Boric acid itself is not toxic, but it can impact pets negatively. If ingested or inhaled, it can lead to renal, cardiovascular, or even respiratory distress.

Make sure to keep ant and other insect traps or bait out of reach of pets by putting them in cupboards, behind doors, or even in hidden nooks and crannies.

I’ve used the sprays, but ants keep coming back. What do I do?

This is a common frustration. It’s not necessarily due to the sprays but in the circumstances of the infestations.

Ways to maximize the spray’s effectiveness include sealing all potential entry points or cracks in your home, keeping and maintaining a clean household, and providing a seal of chalk, cayenne, or chili powder around doors, windows, and any other openings. Adding in these additional steps with the spray ensures an ant-free home!

Our verdict

There are countless options for ant removal throughout the market. We’ve chosen our top three options through our reviews of the top five products for ant killer. Having one of the best pet friendly ant killers allows for an easy and safe use option to rid your home of unwanted pests.

Our Editor’s choice, EcoRaider Ant Killer & Crawling Insect Killer, is a leading pesticide with uncompromising quality and efficiency. Not only is it rated #1 by the Entomological Society of America, but it also outperforms traditional pesticides. Our premium choice, Dr. Killigan Six Feet Under Insect Killer Spray, is a highly effective solution for all your pest problems. Bringing you a premium product is Dr. Killian, which allows easy and direct application right where you need it. Finally, our environmentally-friendly choice, Wondercide EcoTreat Outdoor Pest Control Spray, ensures a pest-free environment without harming beneficial pollinators such as butterflies and bumblebees.

Overall, there’s a solution for your pest problems regardless of the size of the infestation. The best pet safe ant killer options in this review are some of the top choices on the market right now.

References

1.
Keep your pets safe when using pesticides | Government of Canada
Many products we use on a regular basis contain pesticides, from swimming pool sanitizers to insect repellents, mothballs, and flea protection products for pets.
2.
Ants | National Wildlife Federation
Ants are most closely related to bees and wasps, which all have a narrow waist that segments their body. The body is separated into three parts—the head, thorax, and gaster (the part of the abdomen behind the waist).
9,8
Total Score
EcoRaider Ant & Crawling Insect Killer - Editor’s Choice
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