Arizona Chickens

[azurbanclucker]

Anybody have a good solution for Ants in the chicken run? I see my chicks eat a couple but man if those things bite them like they bite me, it would drive my chicken mind crazy!!

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE). Tractor Supply sells it, and I think Shopper's does too. Likely your local feed store as well, but I know for sure TSC has it, because I buy it there. Chicken safe. Don't use Amdro where the birds can get it, they'll die too, and they tend to eat it.

I've also heard that splenda will kill them, but I've never tried.

 

[SonoranChick]

I'm having the same problem! The ants come out after the rain and it literally looks like the ground in their coop is moving. I'm afraid to use poison being that their hole is so close to the coop...and now BEES seem to be curious as well just a few here and there, but they are all over the chicken food and seem to harass the chickens. Any pest suggestions would be terrific! I don't consider bees to be a pest but I really don't want them in our coop.

 

[FeatherPugs]

Anybody have a good solution for Ants in the chicken run? I see my chicks eat a couple but man if those things bite them like they bite me, it would drive my chicken mind crazy!!

Yes! If you have a method it would probably make a gazillion bucks in the first month or two. The only thing I was told is ducks eat ants. I say no to ducks. There was one other, guinea hens, noisy so I wasn't going to keep them here since neighbors are somewhat close and they are all over the place by nature. If we lived on more acreage I'd probably have them for guards! Good luck and share.........

 

[FeatherPugs]

I'm having the same problem! The ants come out after the rain and it literally looks like the ground in their coop is moving. I'm afraid to use poison being that their hole is so close to the coop...and now BEES seem to be curious as well just a few here and there, but they are all over the chicken food and seem to harass the chickens. Any pest suggestions would be terrific! I don't consider bees to be a pest but I really don't want them in our coop.

Bees are another problem. Apparently the chicken food is sweet. I haven't figured anything out for them either. For ants I have used the enclosed stick in the ground Amdro and covered it with a something. Then when I take the cover away I also take the ant thingee away. I have also heard that cornmeal works - I haven't really noticed that it works as the chooks like it too and I'd rather they didn't have the corn in the heat. Also I'd be careful with the DE. While it will work for awhile (until it gets wet) its hard on your chicken's lungs and yours for that matter. It also kills other bugs that are good for your chickens. I've used it when the scorpions were crazy one year around my coop and big yard and it did what it needed to do. I put it around my fence perimeter then realized the chickens were right there scratching in it! Be very careful with it.

 

[azurbanclucker]

Also I'd be careful with the DE. While it will work for awhile (until it gets wet) its hard on your chicken's lungs and yours for that matter. It also kills other bugs that are good for your chickens.

Ooh. Had not heard this. Good to know. My girls haven't been messing with it and my other issue with Amdro is that even if I use the stakes and cover them, the STUPID TORTOISES go knock the covers over because that's what tortugas do. Tried dish soap and hot water, the ants just moved their nest. The DE has been doing OK, and I haven't seen the girls messing with it, but now I'll have to really keep an eye on it.

...Now that I think about it, once night I sprinkled some mealworms down where there were ants accidentally, and the girls devoured both. Wonder if I can train them to eat ants with mealworms as a training aid... Hmm...

 

[Fishybiz]

Yes! If you have a method it would probably make a gazillion bucks in the first month or two. The only thing I was told is ducks eat ants. I say no to ducks. There was one other, guinea hens, noisy so I wasn't going to keep them here since neighbors are somewhat close and they are all over the place by nature. If we lived on more acreage I'd probably have them for guards! Good luck and share.........

I live in an area where I have to be extra discreet as they as even chickens aren't allowed (yet I know so many people who have them...). Will try dishsoap and/or boiling water today and then something more commercial if needed.

 

[Fishybiz]

Ooh. Had not heard this. Good to know. My girls haven't been messing with it and my other issue with Amdro is that even if I use the stakes and cover them, the STUPID TORTOISES go knock the covers over because that's what tortugas do. Tried dish soap and hot water, the ants just moved their nest. The DE has been doing OK, and I haven't seen the girls messing with it, but now I'll have to really keep an eye on it.

...Now that I think about it, once night I sprinkled some mealworms down where there were ants accidentally, and the girls devoured both. Wonder if I can train them to eat ants with mealworms as a training aid... Hmm...

I will try the bug buffet solution!

 

[cactusrota]

I had a great idea that I tried that worked for awhile, but then they came back. I was getting bug foggers, and tossing them under buckets over the ant holes. The fogger was supposed to infiltrate the colony and the bucket kept it in and the critters out. They came back after about 2 weeks, and now with the rains they're out in full force. I've never had DE work for ants. It kills the ones that are out that get it directly on them when you sprinkle it, but the the rest of the colony see's what's happened and just push it aside making a pathway through it. My hubby swears by borax and karo syrup, and is making me use that, but it's not working and he doesn't believe me. I'm pretty sure this colony I have has got to be 30 years old and already knows all the tricks, so it's been a "cold war" between us. All I can do it keep the activity down by spraying the entrance hole with ant or wasp spray then covering with a bucket. In a couple days they open a new hole a couple feet over and I do it all again.
I had tried Guinea hens once and they refused to go into the coop at night, they slept on top of it instead, so I lost a couple to Great Horned Owls and finally decieded they weren't worth it and culled them all. But if someone has first hand experience with them eating ants I might try a few again.

 

[azurbanclucker]

With the ground as damp as it is, I may try to spade up some of it and DE the whole pile, then dump it back in on their butts. See if a major disruption to the nest helps.

 

[FeatherPugs]

@azurbanclucker - the DE won't hurt your chickens if they eat it - that's why we usually get food grade instead of the kind for swimming pools. I'm just really careful. Borax and karo syrup - sounds yuck but I'll try it - maybe mine don't have the experience yet!!