Arizona Chickens

[BlueBaby]

good morning AZ. I was looking at the forecast and the temps are going to be better but ugh! the mugginess is awful. We've had ants bad this year, my poor pups were getting bitten, hopefully whatever hubs sprayed on the grass yesterday will help. Stay healthy, stay cool!

I know about those ant's, and have already been attacking the anthills. The flies are bad also.

 

[igorsMistress]

I know about those ant's, and have already been attacking the anthills. The flies are bad also.

The flies were a bit much earlier this year but not too bad for us now.

 

[BlueBaby]

I am wore out from playing musical chick's today. I moved 4 next door into a large dog crate, incase the lone broody in there would have a problem with the newbies. I had everything set up right for it. Then I finally got the last 3 chick's out of the brooder in the house. They were getting too big, but I waited until a cooler day like today to do it.

 

[cavemanrich]

We've had ants bad this year, my poor pups were getting bitten, hopefully whatever hubs sprayed on the grass yesterday will help.

In my yard, and in cracks on the driveway, I had some ant problems. I don't have the nasty ones you have in AZ, but never the less, I don't need extra ants. I took my box of borax, and a spoon, and generously dusted over all the ant hills, and such. It worked better than I expected.
In previous years, I would use granular Diazinon , and bury some in cavity next to ant hill. I did not want any other wild creatures being affected. so that is reason I buried it into ground. It did control the ants.
I no longer use pesticides or herbicides anymore.
Borax is not a toxic substance, and the way it works, on ants anyways is; Ants will clean off their bodies. They ingest some of the borax powder. A gas develops in their digestive track. (fart gas), Ants are not able to express a fart, so they expire.
I have used a mixture of borax, and powdered sugar as bait inside the home. I also use this much.

It is boric acid, and sweetener conveniently in one. This is good for small areas. The borax powder is very reasonably priced, and used outdoors does not break the bank.

The flies were a bit much earlier this year but not too bad for us now.

I use fly bait traps with much success every summer. I have some home made versions, that I make from empty clear apple juice containers/bottles. Have 3 going now in my chicken area. The 2 that have been there a while, are filled with maybe 5,000+ , flies each. I used purchased fly bait. The 3rd, I had no bait left, so I do my home version. I took some dry cat food, (about a tablespoon) and added it to the water. It takes that about 3 days to kick into gear, but works well then. The purchased baits work like instantly as soon as they dissolve.
I can post pix if anyone needs to see my method.
I like making my own and they cost me almost nothing. Farm stores do sell their versions for about $15+, and the disposable ones from Walmart are about $6.

 

[igorsMistress]

In my yard, and in cracks on the driveway, I had some ant problems. I don't have the nasty ones you have in AZ, but never the less, I don't need extra ants. I took my box of borax, and a spoon, and generously dusted over all the ant hills, and such. It worked better than I expected.
In previous years, I would use granular Diazinon , and bury some in cavity next to ant hill. I did not want any other wild creatures being affected. so that is reason I buried it into ground. It did control the ants.
I no longer use pesticides or herbicides anymore.
Borax is not a toxic substance, and the way it works, on ants anyways is; Ants will clean off their bodies. They ingest some of the borax powder. A gas develops in their digestive track. (fart gas), Ants are not able to express a fart, so they expire.
I have used a mixture of borax, and powdered sugar as bait inside the home. I also use this much.
View attachment 2254930
It is boric acid, and sweetener conveniently in one. This is good for small areas. The borax powder is very reasonably priced, and used outdoors does not break the bank.

I use fly bait traps with much success every summer. I have some home made versions, that I make from empty clear apple juice containers/bottles. Have 3 going now in my chicken area. The 2 that have been there a while, are filled with maybe 5,000+ , flies each. I used purchased fly bait. The 3rd, I had no bait left, so I do my home version. I took some dry cat food, (about a tablespoon) and added it to the water. It takes that about 3 days to kick into gear, but works well then. The purchased baits work like instantly as soon as they dissolve.
I can post pix if anyone needs to see my method.
I like making my own and they cost me almost nothing. Farm stores do sell their versions for about $15+, and the disposable ones from Walmart are about $6.
View attachment 2254936

Good morning Cavey! I don't like pesticides or herbicides either, unless we're talking about chickens I would love to see your method for making the fly traps.

I've tried the borax here for ants; while it might work for some it hasn't ever resolved ants for me. I used it last year and while they seemed to die off, this year there are even bigger issues and my pups were getting bitten every time they went out. That's the only reason we resorted to the pesticide, desperation.

 

[BlueBaby]

@cavemanrich I do use those Rescue Fly Traps. My DH bought me the bigger bag's they sell at the TSC this last time. They cost $7.99 there. It would be interesting to see your homemade method, though.

@igorsMistress For the ant's we get the 1 gal. concentrated bottles of the Permethrin 10%. It costs $64.99 at TSC. I mix a 1/2-oz. per 1-gal. of water. Locate the anthill by following where the ant's are going, or if you actually did see where the hill is at. My neighbor had an anthill starting the other day underneath the chicken wading water pan. I took care of it.

 

[Michelle Guynn]

Try corn meal for ants.

 

[springvalley123]

In my yard, and in cracks on the driveway, I had some ant problems. I don't have the nasty ones you have in AZ, but never the less, I don't need extra ants. I took my box of borax, and a spoon, and generously dusted over all the ant hills, and such. It worked better than I expected.
In previous years, I would use granular Diazinon , and bury some in cavity next to ant hill. I did not want any other wild creatures being affected. so that is reason I buried it into ground. It did control the ants.
I no longer use pesticides or herbicides anymore.
Borax is not a toxic substance, and the way it works, on ants anyways is; Ants will clean off their bodies. They ingest some of the borax powder. A gas develops in their digestive track. (fart gas), Ants are not able to express a fart, so they expire.
I have used a mixture of borax, and powdered sugar as bait inside the home. I also use this much.
View attachment 2254930
It is boric acid, and sweetener conveniently in one. This is good for small areas. The borax powder is very reasonably priced, and used outdoors does not break the bank.

I use fly bait traps with much success every summer. I have some home made versions, that I make from empty clear apple juice containers/bottles. Have 3 going now in my chicken area. The 2 that have been there a while, are filled with maybe 5,000+ , flies each. I used purchased fly bait. The 3rd, I had no bait left, so I do my home version. I took some dry cat food, (about a tablespoon) and added it to the water. It takes that about 3 days to kick into gear, but works well then. The purchased baits work like instantly as soon as they dissolve.
I can post pix if anyone needs to see my method.
I like making my own and they cost me almost nothing. Farm stores do sell their versions for about $15+, and the disposable ones from Walmart are about $6.
View attachment 2254936

What is the ratio of borax to powdered sugar?

 

[City farm]

HAH yes!! Exactly.. they were watching the birds at the fountain... but little did they know this was overhead! Bastard was circling my yard this morning WHILE I WAS STANDING THERE with my dogs. (not actual photo of said hawk).View attachment 2243357

The ducks turn their heads sideways, that’s how I can tell when they are overhead.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

The ducks turn their heads sideways, that’s how I can tell when they are overhead.

Its funny, these chicks (are they still chicks at 12 weeks?) like to sit by the glass door to watch the nature, and they still run and hide when they see a bird shadow go by!

I had one neighbor with a large husky... a large owl still tried to grab him from the backyard! Of course it couldn't lift him, but he got his back really good. They had to get him stitched up, poor thing.

I have been leaving the chicks out longer each day (in the family room), they have a couple spots they all just sit together in, so its pretty manageable. House chicken project is a success thus far!