Ant Killer

[dkmorrow]

Is there a safe ant killer to use around free range birds? I can put them up for a few days if needed.

Thanks

 

[MeepBeep]

Make a thick sugar syrup (or use something like corn syrup, pancake syrup, molasses0 and mix in a little Borax and dab it around the areas where the ants are... The small amount of Borax won't harm the chickens but it's deadly to ants... If you are still concerned about the chickens being exposed to the Borax, get a length of small PVC pipe ($2 or so for 10 feet of 1/2" PVC) cut it into 4-6" lengths and dab your mixture in the middle of the pipe using a Q-tip or paint brush, instant ant bait trap and the chickens can't get to the Borax/syrup mix...

If it's an ant hill put the syrup mixture right on top or in a bowl next to it and keep the chickens away for a few days, or simply cover the bowl with some wire mess or what not...

 

[dkmorrow]

So is there nothing I can buy at a store that is ready to go?

 

[MeepBeep]

So is there nothing I can buy at a store that is ready to go?

I'm sure there is something that is ready to go, they sell boric acid ant bait traps as well as powders that you dump on an ant hill... Most ant killers contain boric acid and/or some other pesticide, both can be toxic to chickens if they ingest too much...

And although getting a jar of corn syrup, pancake syrup or molasses and mixing in some Borax from the laundry isle involves the step of mixing the two it's hardly what I would consider an inconvenience, for an on demand low toxicity ant killer...

Mix about 1 part Borax to 3 parts syrup, or 3 parts sugar with enough water to make a syrup...

If you don't want to do the PVC pipe thing like I suggested, get creative for example dump some Borax/syrup in an empty soda can or bottle, chicken proof but the ants will get in and out just fine...

 

[azygous]

That borax and syrup or molasses wouldn't work where I live. As soon as the ants get active, so do the bears. The bears would be licking up all the ant bait before the ants could muster their armies to go after it.

How about just getting some poultry dust which contains permethrin? It's safe to use around chickens and the label indicates it will control ants, along with the lice, mites, fleas, etc.

 

[MeepBeep]

That borax and syrup or molasses wouldn't work where I live. As soon as the ants get active, so do the bears. The bears would be licking up all the ant bait before the ants could muster their armies to go after it.

It's not like you need to put out gallons of the stuff, I highly doubt a few drop sized applications that can take out an entire hill, is going to draw in any bears...

To each their own I guess...

 

[azygous]

Meep Beep, you are more than welcome to my bears! You have no idea how little it takes to attract a bear! For example, I don't dare cook meat or even bake a cake and leave the windows or a door open. A bear will smell it from a mile away and come right through the window or screen door after the food.

I know, because it has happened to me. Nothing quite like a bear in your house looking out the window at you while you're on the porch. In ten minutes, every room in the house was destroyed. I can't store my chicken feed in the garage along the window wall, because the bear will come through the window and drag the 50 pound sack back out the window. Yep. That also happened to me.

I have hot wire around my coops and runs and I bait it with peanut butter. I watched last summer while a bear tasted the small dab of peanut butter on the hot wire. Luckily the charger was on when this happened. Good times! That bear got the "message".

I need to be very careful what I put into my compost pile. No fruit, especially melon rinds, no left over veggies. The bears would move in. Therefore I know without any doubt what a little molasses would do. Your ant recipe sounds great for city folk or out on the plains where there are no bears, but I'd rather live with ants than deal with bears.

 

[User395221]

I know, because it has happened to me. Nothing quite like a bear in your house looking out the window at you while you're on the porch. In ten minutes, every room in the house was destroyed.

Good grief. How did you get him outside? Did your insurance cover it?

 

[azygous]

It was an experience no one should have. I carefully propped open the screen door and got out of sight for fifteen minutes until the bear decided to clear out. Another resident here was mauled when she tried to scare a bear with two cubs off her deck by banging two pans together. We go to great lengths here to avoid having a confrontation with these big dudes. It's still very much the wild west where I live.

 

[User395221]

until the bear decided to clear out.

You're just lucky (well, comparatively) that he did.... I can't imagine how they'd get a bear out if he didn't decide to come out on his own. If they tranquilised him, nobody would be able to lift him, would they? (I don't want to see that leo dicaprio movie, I really don't)