How to get rid of ants safely with pets and kids around
Standard store-bought pest solutions are often too toxic to use around household pets and toddlers, leaving renters trapped between an infestation and the risk of poisoning their animals. Without professional fumigation—which requires expensive relocation—homeowners run out of DIY ideas as ants spread into living areas and beds.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 21.0× more often in r/Pestcontrol than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Wiping the area with dawn and vinegarDid this help you?
- 2Using Terro baits placed away from pets and toddlersDid this help you?
- 3Looking for DIY treatments under a specific budgetDid this help you?
- 4Trying to handle pest control independently without professional helpDid this help you?
- 5Using gel baits instead of spraysDid this help you?
- 6Waiting for sprays like temprid and alpine to dry completely before letting cats near treated areasDid this help you?
- 7Wiping down beds, walls, and floors with vinegar and waterDid this help you?
- 8Using Terro Ant gel hidden under baseboards to keep cats awayDid this help you?
- 9Using food-grade Diatomaceous EarthDid this help you?
- 10Using natural pet-safe remedies found online such as white vinegar or essential oilsDid this help you?
- 11covering all drainsDid this help you?
- 12removing trash multiple times a dayDid this help you?
- 13scooping the cats' litter box multiple times during the dayDid this help you?
- 14Relying on cats to hunt the pests on their ownDid this help you?
- 15Temporarily relocating pets to a hotel or Airbnb while an exterminator worksDid this help you?
- 16Trying DIY home remedies like mixing sugar and baking sodaDid this help you?
- 17Asking local exterminators for pet-friendly optionsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I've tried every safe way I can think to get rid of them and have had no luck.”source ↗
“We need our supplies for this to be pet, toddler, and pregnancy safe.”source ↗
“I've fully run out of ideas, the ants are starting to come onto mine and my husbands bed”source ↗
“starting to get lots of ants in one bedroom of my apartment. i’ve wiped down the beds walls and floors with vinegar and water but there seems to be more now. not sure how to get rid of them.”source ↗
“thank you. i will definitely try both as the ants are awful i’ve never had to deal w them before”source ↗
“I have a two year old ragdoll and as much as I love him, I have to admit hes incredibly dumb. He likes to lick the floor and lick the walls and whack spiders around the floor till they die.”source ↗
“I live in Canada and it’s that time of year where we get incredibly big spiders that I don’t want in my house, but I’m worried that if I use a regular spider repellent it will hurt him because of the reasons I listed.”source ↗
“I find that a lot of the natural pet safe remedies you find online don’t really work or actually do end up being harmful for animals (white vinegar, essential oils, etc.)”source ↗
“How do I get rid of cockroaches without harming my cats?”source ↗
“Some of them, sure—I don't mind—but I'm worried they'll multiply and my kittens won't be able to handle them.”source ↗
“Los gatos van a comer todo lo que encuentren por eso necesito algo que no dañe a los gatos”source ↗
“Moving is out of the question. So far, I’ve only seen one live one, though I did see a few dead ones when we moved in a couple of months ago.”source ↗
“Going to a hotel with cats? I don't have any friends or family who can look after them; my mother is allergic, and my mother-in-law has a colony with too many cats to take on mine as well. Isn't there any home remedy?”source ↗
“So how can I handle some insects in my apartment? My landlord doesn't do the pest control so it's on me.”source ↗
“I have cats and cannot afford to relocate for however long it takes to fumigate a place, but hopefully I don't need that at all.”source ↗
“So, for around $100, can I get good pest control that will not hurt my cats?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 26Why do I have fleas if I don't have pets?
- 28Why won't house ants go away no matter what I spray?
- 3How to get rid of fleas safely with a baby in the house
- 7How do you finally get rid of bird mites after removing a nest?
- 14How to get animals out of the attic without sealing them inside
- 4How to catch a rat in a small room yourself