Ant control and maintenance suggestions?

[sweetpumpkinfarm]

Hi! First time chicken mama. We just about finished our coop and our 6 week chicks have been spending the day in it. The roosting box goes in today/tomorrow and they'll start nights this weekend. We have some ants, not quite an infestation but if the ground gets wet they are attracted to it (working on getting a hanging water feeder for tomorrow).

So far I've done First Sat lime around and in the coop/sand (we have washed sand floor) and I've also sprayed orange guard on all the wood exteriors, joints, etc. It's defintely an overall issue in our whole yard and the heat is for sure a big cause. Getting ant bait traps for exterior around perimeter of coop today.

Is there anything else i can be doing? I have DE but have heard that doesn't help much. Again, not an infestation (yet, so trying to contain now) but definitely in the sand here and there---which I expect? but is that ok for the chickens? Hoping they'll eat some of them but doubt all. And hoping becuase the roost will be raised and won't have food or water that will be less attractive....

Thank you!

 

[aart]

What kind of ants?
Most are of no concern at all. Fire ants are another story.

We just about finished our coop and our 6 week chicks have been spending the day in it. The roosting box goes in today/tomorrow and they'll start nights this weekend.

Do you mean run is built and coop(enclosed place to sleep and lay eggs)will be done today.

 

[sweetpumpkinfarm]

What kind of ants?
Most are of no concern at all. Fire ants are another story.


Do you mean run is built and coop(enclosed place to sleep and lay eggs)will be done today.

Just regular ants not fire. Yes an enclosed (6sides hardware cloth and roof) run is done with roost and nesting boxes going in today.

 

[aart]

Just regular ants not fire.

I wouldn't worry about them enough to be putting poison all around.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Hi! First time chicken mama. We just about finished our coop and our 6 week chicks have been spending the day in it. The roosting box goes in today/tomorrow and they'll start nights this weekend. We have some ants, not quite an infestation but if the ground gets wet they are attracted to it (working on getting a hanging water feeder for tomorrow).

So far I've done First Sat lime around and in the coop/sand (we have washed sand floor) and I've also sprayed orange guard on all the wood exteriors, joints, etc. It's defintely an overall issue in our whole yard and the heat is for sure a big cause. Getting ant bait traps for exterior around perimeter of coop today.

Is there anything else i can be doing? I have DE but have heard that doesn't help much. Again, not an infestation (yet, so trying to contain now) but definitely in the sand here and there---which I expect? but is that ok for the chickens? Hoping they'll eat some of them but doubt all. And hoping becuase the roost will be raised and won't have food or water that will be less attractive....

Thank you!

My go to in the chicken yard is I pour dawn dish soap on the mound, let it sit for about 30 min, then completely saturate it with water.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

I have ants in one coop, they don't cause any harm and the chickens eat them sometimes. I'd leave it be

 

[sweetpumpkinfarm]

I have ants in one coop, they don't cause any harm and the chickens eat them sometimes. I'd leave it be

thank you!

 

[TexasBaybee]

I have ants in one coop, they don't cause any harm and the chickens eat them sometimes. I'd leave it be

Did you fund something to get rid of Ants? They are all over my feeders and in the feeders. And my chickens don't seem to eat them.

 

[Pigeony]

My ants have been a serious problem. Not fire ants, but they are vicious. Actually killed two of my pullets because they got stuck and then swarmed, not even stuck for long periods of time, they were killed within 1-2 hours. I still am fighting them back because they are numerous, they build countless extremely tiny mound entrances, and they are determined. They've pretty much got colonies across the entire yard, they bite both my and my chickens feet on a regular basis. My last house had two species of ants, neither was ever any issue. Just saying, ants that aren't fire ants should still be taken seriously. If these ants are relatively peaceful, there's no need to get rid of them, but if they're biting you regularly (or relentlessly like mine), they're probably also biting your chickens.