Fire Ant Problem

[hendrix25]

If anyone is familiar with Georgia then you know about fire ants. They are all in my duck house, and pen. Will they hurt my ducks? The ducks eat them from time to time, but they run to water after they get a mouth full

thanks!

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Yes fire ants can be be a real problem for ducks, enough bites can kill. They are a bigger problem when the birds are nesting or after the hatch when the ants go after the babies. Can you move the birds and keep them out while you are treating your house and pen? Sorry I don't know any magic ANSWERS!

 

[hendrix25]

well maybe once the exterminator sprays they will be gone. but moving the house or pen won't do any good. ants will find it again with a day or so.

guess i'm sol. i'll just monitor their house and pen. they aren't in the house except at night, but either way the ants are still in there. in the pen they can move away from them if they start bitting.

thanks though!

 

[jbowyer01]

I dont have experience with ducks but I live in Ga and do have experience with fire ants. Its a good thing my chickens love to eat them lol. I use white vinegar on the mounds, it gets rid of some of the mounds so maybe if you can use it around the duck pen it would help. It might keep them away and its natural but watch out it will kill grass and weeds also. I just buy a big jug of the heinz brand ( I use heinz because its one of the few brands thats made naturaly and not from a petroleum product) I walk around the yard and just pour it onto the entrance. It doesnt get rid of all of them but it helps control them where I dont want to use pesticide.

 

[goosedragon]

I forgot about vinegar, natural insecticide and herbicide! Never heard that about Heinz White vinegar. Most of the organic people I know use Apple Cider Vinegar since it comes from apples.

 

[Dances with Ducks]

I heard you could kill ants with aspartame (Nutrasweet).
http://proliberty.com/observer/20060612.htm
I would worry what it would do to the ducks though.

 

[jbowyer01]

Not to highjack the thread but heres a little article about vinegar and petroleum products. I try to use as many natural products as I can (though I dont always accomplish it lol). I was very surprized because I was purchasing the cheapest vinegar I could find since I use it for just about everything (laundry, cleaning, weed killer etc..). http://tinychoices.com/2008/05/07/is-vinegar-made-from-petroleum/

 

[txredneckmedic]

Walmart sells some "green" pesticides that u might want to look at....if I remember right its alot of natural oils

 

[hendrix25]

thanks everyone, i will test with the apple cider, bc i know i have that at home. then look at walmart next time i' there for some natural pesticides.

THANKS !!!