There are many benefits to pet ownership. The joy of having a faithful companion, the discipline of caring for someone besides yourself, and the comfort of knowing you have someone to come home to are just a few.
But along with the benefits come responsibilities. Feeding your pet is necessary. Cleaning up after a furry one’s meal is just as important. If not, you may get more than you bargained for.
When you rip open that bag of dry pet food, you’re not often thinking about the unwelcome guests that you may also be inviting into your home. While you slowly open a can of wet pet food, you may not be aware that creepy crawlies could be coming in to dine too.
Every living creature needs food. The easier it is to access, the better. If you have an unsealed or opened bag of pet food or a messy pet eating area, regardless of whether it's indoors or outdoors, it’s only a matter of time before these trespassers cross your threshold. Here’s who might just drop by:
Marching ants
Ants love crumbs. It does not take long for them to forage and find your pet’s food bowl or the remnants of the mess they leave behind. Wipe the area clean with Dr. Killigan’s Six Feet Under®, a kill-on-contact spray that will dispose of ants. It is made with a mixture of clove and soybean oil and protects your loved ones, including kids and pets. Six Feet Under works on fleas, ticks, bedbugs, roaches, ants, fruit flies, moths, earwigs, silverfish, mosquitoes, and more.
Buzzing flies
Flies are not very particular eaters. Beware if you’re serving any type of meat to your pets, as flies favor laying their eggs in meat. Place Dr. Killigan’s The Fly Inn® near your pet’s feeding area.
The Fly Inn functions like a fly ribbon, but with Dr. Killigan’s touch of class. Simply attach The Fly Inn onto the base of a windowsill and the glue inside the trap does the rest. The beautiful style of The Fly Inn leaves your guests clueless that you have an insect control product on display.
Lightning-quick roaches
Roaches are drawn toward dark, humid locations, often nesting in kitchens, basements, or garages, which is exactly where you’re most likely storing and feeding your pets. The most common house cockroach is the German cockroach, which can infest a home quickly.
Let’s put a stop to roaches. Dr. Killigan’s Insect Buster®—a bulb duster that is designed to disperse Dust to Dust Non-Toxic Insect Powder. Dust to Dust is a powder insecticide that is non-toxic and non-poisonous. Use this tool to disperse Dust to Dust into cracks and crevices where sprays can’t reach to protect your pet’s feeding area from roaches. Two Tips: It will also work against other pet food lovers including ants, earwigs and spiders and has proven kill times of up to 50% faster than diatomaceous earth.Â
Fluttering moths
Pantry moths go after your stored dried foods. As a part of the life cycle of a pantry moth, they lay their eggs near a bag of rice, a box of pasta, or a container of crackers (to name a few) and then their larvae infest the food. They can go virtually undetected until there is a swarm of them. Many bird foods contain the eggs of pantry moths. Under the right conditions, these eggs will hatch.
Keep Dr. Killigan’s Premium Pantry Moth Traps® on hand. Unopened, they have a shelf-life of three years from the date of manufacture. You never know when you’re going to need one and you surely don’t want to be without this weapon in your arsenal in a time of need.
Want to hear some great news about our Pantry Moth Traps? Unlike other traps on the market, the pheromone in our traps is mixed into the glue, meaning that you don’t have to deal with a separate wafer. Too, the traps are a simple trifold design; open, peel, fold—no glue touching involved. Lastly, our stylish design disguises that they are actually moth traps.
Stinging bees and wasps
If a water bowl is left outdoors, a bee or wasp is sure to find it. They love dirty water, such as what’s floating in your dog’s bowl.
If you find that you’re dealing with a swarm of bees or wasps, there is a nearby nest to be found. Fill Dr. Killigan’s Insect Buster with DE and spray the nest at sunrise or dusk, when these insects are the least active. Remember to wait at least 24 hours to remove the nest to ensure that that majority of insects are dead or have fled.
Dr. Killigan’s Insect Buster bulb is sturdy, easy to aim, and safe to store with DE powder inside.
Annoying mosquitoes
Stagnant water is a breeding area for mosquitoes. If you find that your pet’s water dish is attracting mosquitoes, it means that you’re not cleaning the bowl often enough and that bacteria is building up. This bacteria contains organic solids for a mosquito’s hatchlings’ nourishment.
Here are some steps to take to ensure your pet’s food area remains insect-free.
Seal all pet food in airtight containers
Simply rolling bags tightly and putting clips on them is not enough. Moth larvae can chew through both boxes and bags. You should store all dried pet food in airtight storage containers. Not only will this keep the bugs out, but it will also keep your pet’s food fresh longer.
Clean up after each meal
Just like washing the dishes and wiping down the table after a family meal time, it’s important to do the same for your pet. This small effort will have a large payoff, as it will keep insects at bay. Ensure that you’re also cleaning up your pet’s outdoor feeding area. Otherwise, you could end up with a much larger-on-size issue, like creating a raccoon feeding station.
Maintain the feeding area
If your pet’s water bowl leaks, replace it. You can get your dog’s name engraved on another stainless steel water bowl. If your pet’s dish has cracks in it, note that these cracks can hold tasty treats for ants and other invaders.
When you have pets, you must make an extra effort to prevent an infestation. Dr. Killigan’s offers premium pest control remedies that will effectively handle your insect issue. Our team of professionals is perfecting the art of Killing Them Softly. We are always working to raise the bar to develop safe, toxic-free pest control products for your home.
