My chickens won't eat carpenter ants! Lame sauce.

[matimeo]

I keep my backyard chickens for three primary reasons:
1. Eggs
2. Fertilizer
3. Pest control

Very bummered today when I three some carpenter ants I found in the garage to the chickens and they didn't even go for it. They usually attack all insects with reckless abandon. I guess I'll just have to kill them with my home remedy, but I was really hoping the chickens would help eliminate them, since they are very abundant here in the NW.

 

[Stacykins]

They may not taste very good, I know when digging up a huge ant mound, they gave off a horrible, acidic stench.

 

[hoping4better]

Yeah well, mine don't like ants or worms.

I'd prefer they ate ants (loads of em of all sizes in the yard!), but ok with them not liking worms as they're good guys. What they absolutely love and is a treat of all treats when I catch one for them are grasshoppers! They are absolutely ecstatic to get one of those.

 

[matimeo]

Mine didn't used to like worms either, but now they gobble them up. I'm hoping they take a liking to slugs when slug season starts soon.

 

[hoping4better]

Slugs would be good . . . I've already seen several. Not sure if they're eating them. I hope so!

 

[GardenerGal]

Yeah, a lot of ant species produce formic acid, which they either spray (out their butts), inject (in a bite) or contain in their bodies, making them yucky.

 

[jomercer]

My girls love earthworms, but I wish they'd chow on some brown marmorated stinkbugs instead! My fruit's going to be in a heap o' trouble this summer, I'm afraid.