Ants

[Tikkijane]

We have a serious ant problem in the backyard. I don't know that these are the big, red, fire ants- they are very small (not the regular carpenter ants) but they bite and hang on and they come pouring out of their hills. They are all over in the rock, and the garden soil we got this spring also seems to be infested. Chicks aren't outside full time yet, and they aren't free ranging at this point. I expect in the next week or two they will be outside mostly all the time and semi- free range.

I have tried the boiling water, and that didn't seem to kill them. What can I use that is safe for the chicks but will get rid of the ants? Will they eat the ants? I read somewhere that the chickens won't eat ants?? I really do not want to spray this year, to keep the chicks safe.

Tia,
Tikki

 

[bryan99705]

No, no, no.... put a piece of fence around the anthill and send in the chicks, the birds will love you for it.

 

[Tikkijane]

Quote:

They will have their work cut out for them- the scale of this infestation is huge- all through the rock in the yard and now in the garden (which they can't have until this fall, lol). We've been fighting it for nerarly 9 years and still they survive. These buggers are teeny teeny tiny, too. If they will actually eat them, I won't be so worried. More concerned about them swarming and taking down the chicks. Bleah.

 

[zookeeper15133]

I also would be concerned with them taking down the chicks.

Last year I had yellow jackets in my garden, I couldn't pick my lettuce because of them.

I took a handful of seven dust and poured it around where they came out of the nest.

Next day, no yellow jacket and they have never been back. It should work fo ants too. You might have to find all their holes to the nest.

Good luck!

 

[ellend]

I haven't tried it yet, but probably applying diatomaceous earth would clog their breathing pores and kill them, and be good for reducing your pets' internal & external parasites at the same time, as well as your slug population. Food grade diatomaceous earth (avail. in 50# bags if you desire) will protect your pets. Even though food grade DE has LESS silica, still ALWAYS wear a mask when applying it, and keep everybody out of the area until the dust settles. If the dust is on your clothing, handle carefully. Silicosis leads to lung transplant---IF you're lucky! With proper handling, though, it's great stuff.

Chicks would be fascinated by a few ants, but I'd be really careful about putting chicks in with an anthill--it might be the chicks who end up dead.

Good luck!

 

[kesali]

I am not sure what kind of ants you have, but I recently posted a method that works for the ants by us. Try sprinkling corn meal around their hills. They think it is food and will carry it into their nest. They will eat it, but can not digest it and die. It takes about a week, but it works great. also, it is not poisonous. Of course, if your ants don't eat that type of food, it won't work. Nothing to lose, though.