How the heck do I get rid of fire ants inside the chicken run?? 😱😱😱

[Ascholten]

It is a poison so id not put inside the chicken run. Find out where the ants have nested at, maybe they are under the run, and since it's well... in the way, they are just in there by way of going about their business. Maybe they are eating the poop. Might be some nutrients in it for them, I do not know.

Id also NOT recommend putting down anything in granule form. Being grains, they are much more prone to eat it, it's easier to pick up over a fine dust, and looks like it could be a snack or part of one.

also, as mentioned earlier, the mount WILL split and scatter, so once you kill off one, it may take a few treatments if it's a deep one or had a ton of eggs, it can come back from the eggs, but there will be new mounds from where the groups took off to, once their initial one got nuked. Typically they pop up within a few feet of the old one but you do need to keep vigilant and attack them as soon as they show. Last year the ants got a stronghold on my yard and it was a nightmare finally getting rid of them, this year, im poisoning the hell out of them and so far, I am winning.

Ive seen fireants kill baby birds and everything else, you don't want them around.
Aaron

 

[Ann With A Plan]

Pour boiling water on the mounds.

This is the ONLY way I get rid of them. Over the years I tried all the other methods and none of them worked. I started working on them from one side and then kept moving them away from where I didn't want them to be. It took several applications, because their homes can run deep and wide.

 

[Porpie Pie]

I've always used borax in some sugar water. It's a slow killer so the ants will take it back to the nest and in a few days to a week they should be gone. I've used it in the garden and it's safe as long as you don't use too much HOWEVER I covered it with the garden cloth and mulch so my chickens couldn't get to it. I would tuck the mixture somewhere your chickens won't be able to get to (if possible) I'm not sure if theyd get sick if they got into it

 

[paloozaparty]

I’ve been battling against all different kinds of ants and I’m losing the fight, especially the fire ants!! I shovel the feed that falls almost daily and have recently changed to a pellet feed/new feeder which does help some. I see them all over the ground and don’t want my feather babies compromised. It’s so hot here in the desert that I do mist the run several times a day, so that gives them (ants) water I only gives treats now by hand and pick up any that they didn’t eat. What the heck can I do? I see the fire ant mounds starting inside the run versus outside. I’ve done gallons of vinegar and used diatomaceous earth without success. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

DE (diatomaceous earth) it's great for chickens--you put some in the dust bath and a bit in their food--it kills ALL shell-bearing bugs--including ants (specifically, intestinal worms, mites, ticks, fleas, etc). DE literally slices their shells in half. and, it's totally safe. Other than, you want to keep the dust at bay or let it settle--that it generates when distributing it--because the dust can seriously aggravate the chicken's eyeballs. But, I've never had a problem with it and it's worked great for ridding of ants and other beetle bugs.

 

[alwaystj9]

Amdro is made of corn grit, chickens will eat it.
I have never had DE work on fire ants.

 

[Jld13]

DE (diatomaceous earth) it's great for chickens--you put some in the dust bath and a bit in their food--it kills ALL shell-bearing bugs--including ants (specifically, intestinal worms, mites, ticks, fleas, etc). DE literally slices their shells in half. and, it's totally safe. Other than, you want to keep the dust at bay or let it settle--that it generates when distributing it--because the dust can seriously aggravate the chicken's eyeballs. But, I've never had a problem with it and it's worked great for ridding of ants and other beetle bugs.

Thank you for the suggestion. I’ve tried DE without success. The fire ants just don’t care

 

[2theranch]

I’ve been battling against all different kinds of ants and I’m losing the fight, especially the fire ants!! I shovel the feed that falls almost daily and have recently changed to a pellet feed/new feeder which does help some. I see them all over the ground and don’t want my feather babies compromised. It’s so hot here in the desert that I do mist the run several times a day, so that gives them (ants) water I only gives treats now by hand and pick up any that they didn’t eat. What the heck can I do? I see the fire ant mounds starting inside the run versus outside. I’ve done gallons of vinegar and used diatomaceous earth without success. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

I’ve been battling against all different kinds of ants and I’m losing the fight, especially the fire ants!! I shovel the feed that falls almost daily and have recently changed to a pellet feed/new feeder which does help some. I see them all over the ground and don’t want my feather babies compromised. It’s so hot here in the desert that I do mist the run several times a day, so that gives them (ants) water I only gives treats now by hand and pick up any that they didn’t eat. What the heck can I do? I see the fire ant mounds starting inside the run versus outside. I’ve done gallons of vinegar and used diatomaceous earth without success. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

We use orange oil to pour on mounds. It is safe and effective. Must be diluted and large mounds will need treating more than once as there are several queens in one mound. South TX is overrun with them and you can never eradicate them as they are no longer invasive but considered established. Only good thing about them is they eat ticks.

 

[magicdave]

I’ve been battling against all different kinds of ants and I’m losing the fight, especially the fire ants!! I shovel the feed that falls almost daily and have recently changed to a pellet feed/new feeder which does help some. I see them all over the ground and don’t want my feather babies compromised. It’s so hot here in the desert that I do mist the run several times a day, so that gives them (ants) water I only gives treats now by hand and pick up any that they didn’t eat. What the heck can I do? I see the fire ant mounds starting inside the run versus outside. I’ve done gallons of vinegar and used diatomaceous earth without success. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

 

[magicdave]

I’ve been battling against all different kinds of ants and I’m losing the fight, especially the fire ants!! I shovel the feed that falls almost daily and have recently changed to a pellet feed/new feeder which does help some. I see them all over the ground and don’t want my feather babies compromised. It’s so hot here in the desert that I do mist the run several times a day, so that gives them (ants) water I only gives treats now by hand and pick up any that they didn’t eat. What the heck can I do? I see the fire ant mounds starting inside the run versus outside. I’ve done gallons of vinegar and used diatomaceous earth without success. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

You can try spraying the ground all around the chickren run with "Orange Oil" (Limonene). It is not toxic to chickens and will drive off the FireAnts and any that gets Limonene on them will die from dehydration. It is a powerful solvent made from citrus peel. It is not inexpensive but won't "break the bank." Find the "mound" and thoroughly douse it with the Orange Oil. You can drive them away but it is impossible to completely eradicate them. They are too well established in the Southern US.

 

[Vicker]

Yes I have used this for years in the chicken run and outside of it where my dogs play. Never have had an issue.

Where has this been all my life?