ants, bees and black widows

[TheOrganicSister]

My chickens have been eating ants. Is this okay? They will get right in the middle of them. Can the ants hurt them?

One of the chickens also tried to eat a bee. Apparently it stung her cuz she rubbed her beak on the ground and in her water dish for awhile. I hope she learned this one for herself. But could a chicken be allerguc or the bee cause real harm?

And lastly, we have black widows. Actually we have lots of spiders but most are tiny garden spiders. The widows really worry me though. We kill them as soon as we locate one but I worry they will try to eat one. I imagine it will hurt them, no? Thankfully we found a widow withher egg sac and thus eliminated a whole bunch of widows for next year!

~Tara

 

[purpletree23]

Ants won't hurt the chickens. Good protein. The bee speaks for it's self. Not good to eat. The chickens eventually realize this. Black widows...I would kill every last one.

 

[redhen]

Ugh! Spiders!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Eww me too, I would and do kill every black widow I see. I know the chicken love my grasshoppers so I would think ants are good for them. Poor chicken with the bee though. Rough lesson.

 

[purpletree23]

I just have to tell you about an experience I had with a grasshopper. It hopped into the pen and one of my girls went after it a little too aggressivly. She was running and zigging and zagging and ran right into the barn wall. She had a look on her face like 'where did that come from'? Grasshopper make a clean get away.

 

[Maryallison]

Ants are just fine for them to eat. Wish my girls were hungry for a few more ants since I have a over abundace of them. Me and dh always joke and say we need a anteatter!!!

 

[shuizar209]

OH MAN... We have alot of black widows. How do you kill the widows in the egg sac?
Does anyone know if brown recluse spiders are worth worrying about?

 

[saddina]

Quote:
Only when they bite.

I've seen mine eat a widow, bird lived. (I was slipping a heel off to crush it when Senior Cocky ate it)

 

[Germaine_11.20]

From everything I have heard, brown recluse are much worse than a black widow. Brown recluse can kill and also leave horrible wounds that decay the skin. Black widows can make some sick but usually do not cause death.

 

[skeeter03]

kill the spiders - burn the eggs or soak them in bleach or gas.
if a black widow bites a chicken it wouldnt be very good they are smaller then us people sooo......
brown recluse are horrible to kill them all if they are around your coop.

as for the others my chickens love ants - they are busy clearing up a colony in their new run right now.
bees well lesson learned.