Emily,
Living in Florida I found more ants then I have ever seen anywhere.  I found
that most ants do not like to walk upside down.  I went to Wal Mart and got
a 7 US Gallon storage box.  At the top it is about 16" X 23".  Plenty of
room to stick a couple of food dishes in.  Our ferrets get in it and eat out
of the bowls.  They will still sometimes drag food out but not as bad as
just the bowls on the floor or in a holder.  These boxes have a corner ridge
thing molded in and it is about a half inch in from the edge so even if they
go up the ridge they have to go upside down to get to the side to go up.  I
have not seen an ant in the box.  Even if they do come in, it is to get
anything else around the box.
 
This is a bit of work but at some oriental stores you can get a stick that
looks similar to a glue stick but it is boric acid.  You can loosen the base
boards and run the stick on the back side of your base board.
 
I would also recomend spraying outside all along the wall outside the
ferrets room.
 
Sandy and the gang of fuzz balls
[Posted in FML issue 2377]