Ants in Pet Food

Question
QUESTION: Hello! My senior engineering capstone project involves researching a problem and engineering a solution (or a better solution than those already in existence.) In order to continue with the specific problem that ants can get into pet food, I need justifications. In other words, my opinion doesn't matter... I need people who are more qualified than I am (such as you) to agree with me that it's actually a problem.

So do you, as an expert, agree?

I think it is very much a problem. Either your pets go hungry, or you have to spray poison which might cause health issues. Not to mention the fact that you are practically paying for the ants to eat. Some solutions exist, such as a moated pet bowl, but what is to stop your pet(s) from drinking the water and letting the ants get to the food anyway?

So I'd like to know your opinions, testimony, and experiences with this problem.

Thank you again! Your time and patience is greatly appreciated!

ANSWER: First of all, we cannot help anyone do homework questions. Secondly, I am not an expert about ants getting into pet food. Thirdly, I don't have that problem because I 1. use dryer sheets on the floor which keeps the ants away and 2. Keep the rest of the food in covered containers that they cannot get into.

I do not use poison around my pets. Boric acid works also and it won't harm the pets as they don't get near it.
That is about all I can offer.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Firstly, this is not a homework problem. I was merely asking for your opinion as an expert. Secondly, you are an expert on pets (doesn't necessarily mean a veterinarian) because for one, you would not be on this website and two, your credentials would not say so. According to my teacher, since you have over 35 years of experience in veterinary medicine and because of your work with animals, your opinion matters. Mine doesn't, I have no experience whatsoever.

Thirdly, you have obviously encountered this problem before, because if you hadn't, nothing would have prompted you to put dryer sheets on the floor to keep the ants away in the first place. If you did not place the dryer sheets on the floor, the problem would still exist. You found a solution to the problem, but can you honestly say it is the best one?

I've already asked two other experts from this website for their opinions and they've both agreed with me. Pests are a problem, especially when it comes to pet food and leaving it outside. Again, that does not mean you have to agree with me. You are entitled to your opinion, but what I'd like to know is just that; I want to know if you, as an expert in the area of animals/pets, agree with me when I say that ants getting into pet food is a problem. For me, it is. I've tried moating my pet bowl (which is rather crude), but my puppy keeps drinking the water. Dryer sheets cost money. Maybe not much, but it adds up. I want to engineer something that will fix this problem but will also be easily managed.

Again, that's all I need. Just your opinions, testimony, et al. Do you agree with me?

Thank you very much for responding and for your time and patience. It is greatly appreciated.

Thomas Matthew Torres


Answer
OK Thomas,
I agree with you, Ants can be a problem with pet food, or any food for that matter. We have two kinds that come into the house-one seems to seek out water and one just greasy food. I put the dryer sheets down to see if they would work to keep the ants out because I read about it in an e-mail. Much to my surprise it works.

Yes, I have had ant problems and in the past I used baits outside but I am against pesticides of any kind so I use the boric acid when I need to and the dryer sheets in the house. I do not use them in the laundry and one works for 6 months so they are not costly really. I use a new one each time, but I only replace them once every 6 months or so. I have thrown out a bowl or two of food before and since I feed Science Diet it can be expensive to do that. I do not leave my pet food outside however. My pets always eat and sleep inside. So while my solution is not the best one, for me it works.

I hope you come up with a great invention to stop this from happening. Good luck to you and let me know when you do. I hope that this helps.