Ants in coop

[Crzy Chi Lady]

The quick lime sounds interesting. The thing about the DE is you have to be vigilant. Everytime the colony tries to recover you have to constantly kill off the troops to starve the queen. Borax sounds a little scary. At least I won't have to worry about the gals scratching it up.

 

[chynasparks]

My coop is set up on concrete. Used DE when they started to come from the ground and on into the coop. It works but the moved around, or there is other colonies. Since I can't free range we have decided to put Amdro any block around the concrete slab. It's expensive but my yard gets plagued with fire ants. I had a big line of ants going in the far end on a corner and going up into the upper nest area. That's when we decided to treat around the perimeter of the concrete. I placed some granular on a small colony that was working there way under the base of the coop. In 30 minutes the ants had carried off every speck of granular to their colony. So I think it's the safest poison I can use since it isn't a powder that will get into the coop. I can go around and treat any hills elsewhere. Ants are highly attracted to it, they carry it to the queen kills everybody. I have never used strong pesticides because of my pets but I just can't let the coop get infested.

 

[gmyers]

I used basic H yesterday and this morning there are still ants in the pen. I put 1/4 teas. To 16oz water, I'm wondering if I should mix it stronger. I have pine chips in my chicken coup about 2 to 3 inches thick, should is put in more chips?

 

[chynasparks]

I started using Amdro Ant Block outside our coop. I live in Texas and have mounds of fire ants. Also have crazy ants, wood ants and a lot of other kinds of ants. It kills 19 different species of ants. The DE is good inside the coop since its safe for the chickens but I wanted to keep the pesty little ants from coming in at all so now every time I see a colony forming at the coop (on the outside) I sprinkle a little if the granuals and just wait. Within a day or 2 no ants in sight. It really works. I can get away with this because my peeps can't free range. They get carried to a whoop run regularly to forage in different areas of my yard. Only have 4 so not a big hassle. Wouldn't be practical with a big flock. My pets aren't allowed near the coop they have tie outs too. The ants carry the granuals off to the colony and the eat it and the whole colony dies. The granuals are gone too so the area is safe again. For me, it's working perfectly. The chickens eat wandering ants so I've gotten over panicing every time I see a few ants. I just inspect the perimeter for ants and sprinkle as necessary.

 

[gmyers]

Thanks chynasparks. I live in Texas also, and the ants are terrible. It rained last night and supposed to today so maybe I can put amdro out tomorrow. I'm in Buffalo where are you located.
Gwen

 

[chynasparks]

I'm in Liverpool, about 12 miles from Alvin. Near Houston. I got Amdro from our local store, Stanton's. it cost $18.65. But it's worth it because it works. Ant beds don't relocate, they're all dead even the queen. Put some around the mound and in a day or 2 the colony is dead. There isn't any waste so it lasts. I bout the container in July it's still 3/4 full. I have half an acher and lots of ant beds. But I can say that the presence of ants is greatly reduced! I'm not using much at all now. I'm sure there's othere great stuff out there but I'm sticking with the Amdro. I freaked early this summer when I went into the coop and there was a huge trail of ants going up the wall toward the nest house! Aaaarrrg!!!

hasn't happened since then.

 

[Mike-Mike]

I have quail. This AM is the first time one "flew the coop" as I looked the tractor was covered in tiny ants. I moved it, sprayed it off, spread corn meal around it and sprayed the outside with lemon juice. We'll see.

 

[MamaGallina3]

I have sand in the run area of my coop and it is being taken over by ants! We sprinkled DE in there, but I am thinking it needs more thank a light layer of sprinkling. How much DE are you all using to get rid of these ants? My coop is surrounded on the outside by mulch, and the inside of the coop run is sand. We live in FL (the heartland of ants) and I am sure these things must be biting the chickens

 

[cfschick77]

I have ants in my coop and a broody too.  Im concerned she will have em crawling all over her.  They are IN the other nest boxes but dont seem to be interested in her thankfully.  I just noticed them a few days ago.  They ARE red ants.  I wonder if the feed store carries that Basic H.  I wish my girls ate ants or wasps.  We had about 200 of them in the run today after I threw in some BBQ bones from last nights dinner....

Where do you find basic H? Sounds familiar. Is it still sold in department stores as HH cleaner?

 

[MamaGallina3]

Basic H is sold by Shaklee, the only reason I know that is b/c my neighbor sells it. Here is a link: http://www.shaklee.com/us/en/