Biting Stinging Pests harmful to Chickens ?

[areyoumymother]

Often wondered IF biting stinging insects would be a threat/problem to my chickens.

IE fire ants and wasps.

Our yard is rittled with Texas style fire ants and the wasps are prolific as well, I am constantly knocking down wasp nests in the coop.

Can a fire ant bite or wasp sting have a detrimental effect on a chicken?

 

[Life is Good!]

Bump - hope someone knows the answer! I know there's lots of Texan's here....

 

[beckschicks]

Okay I know my chickens love to eat fire ants and I know the ants bite them. It seems to make the chickens uncomfortable but they keep going back. They completely destroy the mounds which makes me HAPPY! I dont know about wasps I have seen my little hen chase them down and eat them.

 

[Teresaann24]

I have even seen my silkie chicks chase down bee's and eat them.

 

[bryan99705]

If the birds will eat them, it must not be a issue. Would it help to add guineas to the flock?

 

[7L Farm]

I'm here in Texas & live on a farm. I have bees wasp ants you name it. I've seen the girls eating ants but their not that interested in them because their so small it would take a zillion of them to get a meal. Bees drink out of their water-ers with them the bees & wasp don't bother the chickens.

 

[areyoumymother]

Thanks Ya'll for the feedback

 

[Denninmi]

Well, we don't have fire ants up here in Michigan, so I can't speak to those. But, I have beehives about 50 feet from my bird pens, and we have many wasps and yellowjackets later in the summer and autumn. Woe be upon those who try to get into the pens for water, especially the duck pen -- tasty snacks for the birds. I provide water outside of the pens near my hives to try to prevent this from happening, although the numbers taken by the birds are insignificant as a whole. Still, even the bees are "my girls" and I don't like to see them eaten.

 

[Imp]

There have been posts, in the past, about birds and other animals being killed by ants. If they are confined. I remember one a couple years ago about ants getting into a pet store while it was closed and killing a bunch of caged animals. It was a very sad post.
Also recently there have been lots of posts recently about buffalo gnats killing birds.
I don't remember any similar posts about bees/wasps.

Imp

 

[beckschicks]

I recently had a bad experience with an Americana 4month old hen. She got her head lodged under part of the cage which didnt hurt her just made her immobile. The fire ants attacked her and hubby when he went to get her out. It was so sad her face was about three times its normal size. I tried to save her but they had just done to much damage. They will attack the birds like they attack me.