Ants!!

[Hennyhandler]

I have found that ants are in the coop!

At first it was just one or two and now there is little hills in the poo, like they are building in it. What options do I have to stop this? I think I have some bug stuff that is for coops but if I don't what options do ya'll have. I figure even if I do have some, someones idea might be a better choice so please feel free to list experience with the evil things.

By the way, my chickens don't seem to have the appetite for ants so that's a no go.

 

[lizzy06019]

I would try food grade DE (diatomaceous earth)

I love the stuff!!

 

[Lothiriel]

You should try sprinkling DE (diatomaceous earth) around your coop. Maybe focus particularly on the area under the roosts where there's more poops. If you don't want to do DE, Sevin is a good alternative.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

Quote:
where do you get that? and do you know if it gets rid of red ants?

 

[dawg53]

Sevin dust works too!

 

[geebs]

ooops

 

[geebs]

yep and feed your chickens cinnamon.... That really helps... ants hate cinnamon. It messes with their olifactory senses... that should keep them out of the poo since it will contain cinnamon. You can spray orange oil around also...onto wood surfaces also.. They hate that or use Peppermint oil.. that works for rodents also. Be careful w/the peppemint because it isn't good for cats... so if that is problem too..... well

 

[Kikiriki]

Yes DE works, but it has to contact the ants and moisture allows the ants to survive so it does not work in rain or after a rain and it washes away or into the soil.

I did some research for pesticide free treatments.  Found a texas site that linked to a PDF with lots of studies for both home remedies/ non pesticides and pesticides. A few studies looked at insecticdal soaps...the best acting included 2% of orange oil.

However the highest kill rate (100%) came from solutions of water mixed either with Murphy's Oil Soap (1/2 to 1/2 to it was expensive), or concentrated cold pressed orange oil (6oz to a gallon). A review on Amazon said the user mixed 1/2 cup to three gallons of water in a five gallon bucket.

I am having a major infestation, so I just ordered 2 bottles for myself. 

Amazon link to reviews that discuss using orange oil for ants, as well as for other purposes:

http://www.amazon.com/Natures-Wisdo...rtBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R7MMEG7CPK1R9

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Link to Texas research PDF:

http://fireant.tamu.edu/research/projects/pdf/urbanipmhandbook2007edited.pdf

Page 118. 
Evaluation of Soaps and Oils, Murphy’s Oil Soap, QRD400, Canadian Petroleum Products Formulations Lawn 1 and 2
Bastiaan M. Drees and Bill Summerlin
Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX

Page 141. 
Insecticidal Soap and Orange Oil Toxicity to Red Imported Fire Ant Workers: Development of a “Home Remedy” Recipe for Use as an Ant Mound Drench Treatment
Bastiaan M. Drees and Bill Summerlin
Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX

 

[Kikiriki]

yep and feed your chickens cinnamon.... That really helps... ants hate cinnamon.  It messes with their olifactory senses... that should keep them out of the poo since it will contain cinnamon.  You can  spray orange oil around also...onto wood surfaces also.. They hate that or use Peppermint oil.. that works for rodents also.  Be careful w/the peppemint because it isn't good for cats... so if that is problem too..... well /img/smilies/smile.png

A study looked at cinnamon in the link in my other post...direct application increased mound activity. Orange oil worked grat, though...

 

[SunnyAlberta]

After reading this thread I decided to try cinnamon oil (which I already keep as an air freshener) on ant hills on my patio which is next to my teeny coop. It worked like a charm! I have sprinkled it on the stones around my outdoor furniture hoping the cinnamon will deter ants from biting our toes. I've sprinkled it around the coop and run, too, not in it. WARNING: Cinnamon oil will burn your skin. It smells good, but it is not a perfume. I'll keep you posted on how it works after entertaining on the patio tonight. If cinnamon oil isn't the secret, I'll try buying orange oil next.

Amazon link to reviews that discuss using orange oil for ants, as well as for other purposes:
http://www.amazon.com/Natures-Wisdo...rtBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R7MMEG7CPK1R9

Thank you for this.