Ants- HELP!!

[haleyannxoxoxo]

So, we have had an ant problem for a long time. We currently have 8 chicks in my laundry room in a large brooder. The ant guy is coming today to treat the outside of the house, which is the main issue. We have poison down in some spots (the ant trap kind).

I was talking on the phone with my mom, watching the chicks and mentioned how cute they are and that there were a couple of ants in the brooder that the chicks were eating- aw, cute. My mom brought up a good point- if the ants are eating poison, and the chicks eat those ants, are my chicks being poisoned/consuming enough to cause concern?

Input please! I'm worried. They are between 4 days old and 2 weeks old, on medicated chick starter w/probiotics and electrolytes added to their water.

 

[lcwmt]

We do not use any poisons (lots of reasons including the potential impact on the food chain)
and can't respond to what impact eating poisoned ants or other creepy crawlies will do to the chicks.
To control ants, we use cinnamon... they will not cross that line! This works around our beehives and any place outside we don't want ants and their activities. They have their place but that does not include inside my house or beehives <G>. My grandmother used a line of borax around the foundation to keep sugar ants out of the house.

I'm sorry, I know this does not answer your question about whether your chicks will be damaged by ingesting ants that may have eaten poison, or even what that threshold might be. What I would do - now- in your situation, is put cinnamon down around the brooder, this will keep any other ants out and eliminate your immediate concern.

 

[Poultry keeper12]

Hey, you shouldn't risk the chance of them eating them, if the ants are eating poison you have a 50% chance your baby's will get poisoned also.
Best Regards!

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed, especially, if you are having an exterminator come, you can be pretty assured that he will be using some pretty noxious chemicals. I make a bait out of borax and sugar, boiled into a syrup. Still toxic, but it does a good job. Since we've removed a lot of trees from around our house, we no longer have ant invasions in the house.

 

[CCUK]

You can use permethrin on chickens. It also kills ants. Would this cause potential poisoning of chicks?

 

[haleyannxoxoxo]

Here's what we are doing- exterminating. BUT! Going to put DE in their bedding. and a cinnamon/DE mix around the brooder AREA on the floor...and insect tape around the edges of the brooder.... keep the sickly ants away from my babies as they are killed off.

 

[LoveDatChickenLife]

Maybe just put your baby chicks in a baby pen and put cinnamon around it so the poisoned ants won’t get in. Hope this helps!