Fire ants! ENTIRE acre will be covered!

[echo81577]

We have a fenced in 1 acre backyard and I let my chickens free range. The yard will soon be covered in fire ant mounds and need to figure out a way to safely treat these so a chicken's can still free range. Has anyone used TalStar from the DIY pest control store? Other ideas?

 

[the_peanut_coop]

You could Pour soapy water on the first ant hills. you can also pour Diatimacous earth on the ants to cull them.

 

[cmobley]

Nobody does this anymore probably except me but I have small children, dog, chickens and get pretty pissed when fire ants bite them. I get my 5 gallon gas can and give the mound a good soaking. Kills everything instantly even the grass which eventually grows back. But I don't have time to chase things with lemons and oranges hoping it works.

 

[21hens-incharge]

An entire acre of fire ants!?!

I would be contacting a pest extermination company for sure. That sounds far worse than what the average home owner should tackle.

 

[echo81577]

An entire acre of fire ants!?!

I would be contacting a pest extermination company for sure. That sounds far worse than what the average home owner should tackle.

Everything they would use would be bad for my beloved birds. we moved into this house last October and I did all I could treating them with talstar for hours and hours a month before we got the chickens. It was basically every 5 ft there was another mound of various size. I can Talstar the front again because the chickens are securely in the back, but I might try the gasoline in the back because at least it wouldn't poison the chickens??

 

[echo81577]

Nobody does this anymore probably except me but I have small children, dog, chickens and get pretty pissed when fire ants bite them. I get my 5 gallon gas can and give the mound a good soaking. Kills everything instantly even the grass which eventually grows back. But I don't have time to chase things with lemons and oranges hoping it works.

I think I'll try it today before these mounds get huge, so far they are only about the size of a baseball.

 

[cmobley]

Everything they would use would be bad for my beloved birds. we moved into this house last October and I did all I could treating them with talstar for hours and hours a month before we got the chickens. It was basically every 5 ft there was another mound of various size. I can Talstar the front again because the chickens are securely in the back, but I might try the gasoline in the back because at least it wouldn't poison the chickens??

Fence a ring around the mound. Only other thing I found that worked was over n out monthly treatment but didn't want them picking up pieces of poison that looks like their crumble or eating poisoned insects it may not affect them at all, didn't wanna chance a large coverage area.

 

[echo81577]

Nobody does this anymore probably except me but I have small children, dog, chickens and get pretty pissed when fire ants bite them. I get my 5 gallon gas can and give the mound a good soaking. Kills everything instantly even the grass which eventually grows back. But I don't have time to chase things with lemons and oranges hoping it works.

Do you actually light it also?

 

[cmobley]

Do you actually light it also?

No just pour it on. A small baseball size mound maybe 1/2 cup