Fire ants

[billgarb]

I live in the Fort Pierce area in Florida and purchased 8 bantam chicks and I placed them in a box with their adoptive mother in my loft. All was going well. She was taking very good care of them. However this morning when I checked on them I found three dead chicks and fire ants crawling all over them and the box. I am assuming the fire ants killed them since they were confined and had little place to escape to. Has anyone else had an experience like this. I released them with their mother into the hen house were they should be fine and sprayed the floor with ant/insect killer.

 

[abraga]

I lived in SC..and had fire ants...yes.. fire ants can definitely inflict enough bites to kill chicks..even an adult sized bantams. Although I never had them kill my chickens...i have observed them raid birds nests and kill wild bird chicks and devour them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry for your loss.

I would assume like you the fire ants was the cause of their demise. Check them over really well for any remaining ants and bites.

You can use a Permethrin based poultry dust or spray to treat them if needed.

 

[abraga]

I lived in SC..and had fire ants...yes.. fire ants can definitely inflict enough bites to kill chicks..even an adult sized bantams. Although I never had them kill my chickens...i have observed them raid birds nests and kill wild bird chicks and devour them.

Incidently..they have enormous underground nests..they are hard to eradicate. U may want to check around your coop for thier nests and eliminate them. I had the worse time with them! Frequently while I would do yard work, I'd accidently step on an underground nest...they would pour out like lava and bite viciously.

 

[MINDANAO DAVE]

I live in the Fort Pierce area in Florida and purchased 8 bantam chicks and I placed them in a box with their adoptive mother in my loft. All was going well. She was taking very good care of them. However this morning when I checked on them I found three dead chicks and fire ants crawling all over them and the box. I am assuming the fire ants killed them since they were confined and had little place to escape to. Has anyone else had an experience like this. I released them with their mother into the hen house were they should be fine and sprayed the floor with ant/insect killer.

I just had the same problem today. They were newly hatched and three eggs left to hatch. I saw the hen was off the nest leaving the eggs while is unlike her. I checked the nest to find red ants everywhere on the eggs as well. She moved her 4 chicks out of the nest away from the ants. I have one chick that may not make it.

 

[azygous]

Ants, for the tiny beasts that they are, can sure wreak havoc. It's tempting and almost a natural reflex to go grab a can of Raid and hose them down. It may kill the ants, but it will also kill your chickens. Any petroleum based insecticide needs to be avoided at all costs. Even after it dries it can kill if a chick picks up a contaminated bit of grit.

Permethrin poultry dust, Sevin dust, and spinosad based insecticides will control ants while giving you peace of mind that you will not also be putting your chickens at risk.