Fire Ants

[enola]

Do chickens eat fire ants ?

 

[sunshineinsc]

I hope so!

 

[enola]

fellow southcarolinian

 

[Dar]

I dont know about fire ants specifically but i had a real bad ant problem....them big black one and lil red ones and lil black ones...(sorry i dont do bugs) but ever since i got my chickens there have been no problem with them....my local pest control guy called me last spring and wanted to know if i wanted him to come by and check things out before they got to bad...i sais no thanks "I GOT CHICKENS"

he said ..well they will eat anything... then he asked me if i will sell the eggs but thats another story

 

[enola]

There are new "mounds" all over my yard already !

I wondered if I built a chicken tractor and put it over a hill, if the chickens would help me out here a little

Of course, I would stay there and watch in case things get out of hand. Fire ants are mean little varmints

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Quote:
I wouldn't go that extreme...

but if you let them out to range a bit, they'll eventually find the ants and eat them. The ants tend to move further out of your yard after constant attacks.

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

Mine eat them all up and even dig up the hills trying to get more. Hello from SC too!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I have offered every species of bird kept here -- the chickens, guineas, ducks & geese -- a handsome cash bonus AND central air conditioning added to their coop IF they would only eat up all the fire ants!

So far, there have been no takers...

They will peck at the larvae if a mound is disturbed, especially if I have just sprayed it with insecticide

But they won't take the initiative to scratch up a mound and dispatch the resident ants.

The most effective & least harmful stuff I've found to use for killing fire ants is %5 Sevin Dust. I sprinkle it all over & around the mounds. I also sprinkle it under & around the nest boxes, especially those of broody hens, as an ant preventative. And I mix up a liquid insecticide from a concentrate to use in a spray bottle for especially bothersome mounds, ones in inconvenient places.

But I wish I had birds who would do the pest control for me. Perhaps I could get a Giant Anteater to keep in the yard...

 

[JupiterFarmer]

I know my chicks eat em but I doubt went they'll get older that they'll have an interest in the tiny things

 

[schmije]

I don't know about chickens, but I read that you should put down little piles of cornmeal where you see ants. The ants take it home to share, and they can't digest it, so they die. It's supposed to take a week or two to get all of them. I've never tried it, but what could it hurt?