Appreciate the feed back. I've had a couple mounds in the chicken yard for weeks now. I've put off treating them for fear I would 1) poison the my ladies 2) poison all the other bugs in the area
I live with my parents and my mom fought to keep pesticides off the property. I take care of their chickens and, of course, I love them (the chickens) and would never knowingly (After 7 years taking care of the parents' chickens I and still learning and make mistakes.) do anything to harm them.
The things is I also love how there are tons of worm castings everywhere after a rain and even an amazing amount of frogs all over the place since we've been getting rain on a regular basis.
I believe the abundance of frogs and worms around the place indicates the soil here is very healthy and the last thing I want to do is start making the place toxic like before my parents bought the place. There were little or no worm castings to be found when they first moved here.
In my research I read a woman who keeps chickens and whose husband owns a pest control business. She states that Amdro Fire Ant Block is the best "lest toxic" bait:
http://www.chickenkeepingsecrets.com/chicken-predators/kill-fire-ants-around-chickens/
She is very clear about using this over the other variety of Amdro and that one must provide a barrier to keep critters away from it in the first 24 hours. In that time the ants will typically have gathered all of it but if there is any left remove it.
On the other hand, there is this post to this forum:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/54463/beware-of-amdro-fire-ant-killer
warning us it's deadly to chickens - don't use it.
So, I am still deciding what to do. I'm in no hurry, The chicken yard has plenty of room for the chickens to avoid the ants and the mounds are out of the way.
The problem bugs me (get it?) a great deal and I really want the ants gone, but the chickens' health and that of the soil around here are more important, to me, than what is at the moment merely an eye sore and
potential nuance with the sting hazard, etc..
I'm still considering a bait I have made before using stale or fresh, cheap corn chips pulsed in a food processor 'til it's the consistency of course sand. I then dumped it into a plastic bag and dusted the crumbs with roach power.
The ants will readily take it and when I have put it out in the kitchen for invading fire ants they eventually go away.
The trouble is I don't know if I killed the mound because the acid isn't detectable to the ants or did I just kill of enough that they moved on and possible split the mound.
If I try it on the mounds in the chicken yard will I make then move a few feet away and/or multiply the number of mounds as a result?
One thing is for certain: I will not broadcast anything that can kill anything but fire ants. Not ever. And, even outside the chicken yard, if I use a "least toxic" bait I will be putting wildlife netting around the area to keep wild critters from eating it.
Whatever I choose it will be the lesser of two evils (like so many decisions we make, right?) but isn't that the nature of so many decisions we have to make? I only hope to learn enough about what my options are and minimize the unintended consequences that to often accompany such a decision.