If you have a pet at home, bugs are sure to annoy you here and there – especially on the food bowls of the pet. It’s both a disgusting sight and also can be dangerous for your pet’s health. Bugs usually carry dreadful diseases and spread onto anything that they are nibbling; pet bowls being of the favourite places of the bugs they will be atop the food anytime you leave it unattended.
Whether you have kept the bowls inside or outside the house, above high shelves – bugs will surely find them and this seems to be an ongoing problem in most of the homes that have pets. Below given are some tips that will help you to keep the pet food and their bowls free from bugs:
The Soapy Bowl Solution
This is the best way to prevent your pet’s food bowl from bugs; to go on with this process, things that you will need are Cardboard, bowl stands, dish soap, small plastic containers with lids, and water. Here are the steps to execute this prevention method –
The Perfect Spot
Find the best location to keep the pet bowl; check the whole house and find the best location that will be easily under your supervision and also can be cleaned easily. Do not place the bowls in area with movement or the doors and windows. They can be kicked away by forgetfulness and bugs can attack them easily at such places.
Bowl stands
The right bowl stand for the pet food bowls can help you to keep bugs away significantly. There are different types of stands like feeders, racks, and diners. Buy the one that can hold both the food bowl and the water bowl; it should be elevated to a higher level by 4 distinct legs. Find the best one that can be reached by your pet but just make sure that it is raised up by 4 stands.
The Plastic Container Set Up
Bring the plastic containers together; and put the 4 legs of the bowl stand into the plastic containers in a way that the stand should not touch the walls of the containers. At least 1/8’ space should be kept in between the leg and the container walls.
Soapy Water Solution
Now it’s time to set up the defence moat; fill the containers with soapy water. Just pour a drop of dish soap in the containers and fill with water keeping some distance from the brim. No need to change this water every day but keep a check to see if more water is needed to be added.
Supervise
Be careful and check if your pet is not licking the water or it’s not coming on their way. Since the bowls will also be new for them, just keep a watch if they are not getting into the soapy solution. You can create the cardboard barriers around the plastic containers to prevent the long hairs of the pet get into the water. The cardboard should not touch the legs of the stand, or else it will create a bridge for the bugs to climb up.
Other Ways to Prevent Bugs on Pet Food
- Keep and store all pet foods in air tight containers. Keep small amounts in the jar at a time; in case bugs attack you can discard the little food that is in the jar and take the fresh lot.
- Even if you do not follow the above said procedure, make sure you keep the pet dishes at elevated levels. Most of the bowls and dishes are specially designed for this purpose with high stands.
- Keep the pet food area always clean; remove all the spills or scraps on the floor and wipe the floor with an antiseptic at least twice a day.
- Keep the food bowls away from foundation walls as they make it easy for the ants to trail in and find the food.
