fire ants

[mossyroo]

I have seen several mentions of chickens decimating ant hills but was wondering how they fare against fire ants? There must be plenty of Southern free-rangers with experience with this.

 

[cute bantams]

I have seen several mentions of chickens decimating ant hills but was wondering how they fare against fire ants? There must be plenty of Southern free-rangers with experience with this.

my hens typically destroy fire ants easily they scratch until the ants get under the scales on their legs then after they've gotten all the ants off they come back and the cycle continues

 

[dawg53]

My birds have always avoided fire ant mounds. Seems they've had better things to scratch around for.

 

[cute bantams]

Haha mine just like to dig in the dirt because it's loose

 

[Primo]

Mine avoid them as well. My compost pile has a large colony in it. Chickens will not go near the pile

 

[cute bantams]

Maybe I should rent out my girls

 

[azahn]

My flock has never gone after fire ants, and we have plenty. I think they are smart enough to avoid them.

 

[cute bantams]

I do not think they care they like to eat them maybe it's like in wild birds that have been observed " anting "

 

[Shining Hill]

Guinea hens really go after fire ant mounds more in my experience. Call me cruel too but I'd move our guinea tractor over a few mounds each day and MAKE them get them. They usually have to be forced. They weren't getting attacked or anything though. Guineas are SUCH a pain in my butt they gave to pay their rent somehow!
I'm dreading the fire ants this spring! We have an absolute TON if them!

 

[HotDesertChick]

Fire Ants! Part of the reason we left coastal GA.

We had a small free-range flock of Golden Seabright bantams, and several guineas on our 8 acre property. The Chix appeared to leave all of the nasty re-occuring fire ant mounds alone. Wouldn't you?!

I never found a way to eliminate these vicious tiny ants. I took great pleasure in lowering my four-foot-wide tractor-driven bush hog ("mower") over the large ant hills that would form in our back four acres. How, I came to hate Fire Ants!

Amdro ant bait seemed the most useful, as the greedy ants would take it down into the nest to feed the queen, killing the future source of new buds. Any bait that can work as an attractant might work, if the ant colonies aren't already "immune" to the pesticide.

My bantams, guineas, never pecked at the ant bait, but they didn't like going near the Dastardly Devils anyway. I would be careful using any bait around chickens. I always kept the Amdro (or similar baits) cool in storage, to keep them "tastier" to the nasty ants.

Good luck.