HELP!!! fire ants killed one of my chicks

[Mrs Stumpgrinder]

I have a very bad case of fire ants. They killed one chick

and they have wounded two more. The momma hen moved them as best she could. I have another broody that I can't move and will go thru the same thing if I can't do something.

right now I have the mom and chicks in the brooder with a fan and plenty of water.

I have tried seven dust, but the ants are not leaving.

1) what can I do for the chicks that were ant bit?
2) how can I get rid of the ants, without harming my chickens?

I'm in disperate need...... waiting for help....

thanks for any advise

Mrs Stumpgrinder

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
You need to move them--it may not be convenient, but you need to move mama & chicks and mama & eggs. If the seving is not working, that is about all you can do. When you move the hen with eggs, put her in a dark smaller space that she cannot get out of, so that she is forced to stay on the nest.

 

[Kojack]

ind the path they are taking up to the nest. Afix tape to the wood around the nest so that the stiky side is facing out. use a strip of tape that is pretty wide or use a few strips of narrow tape. Then take BENGAL brand ant poison dust spread it on the tape. follow the ant trail back to the nest and kill them all! follow the directions. USE BENGAL IT WORKS! do this high enough on the wood that your girls cannot peck at the tape.

 

[chunky_ficken]

Here is a method that won't harm your chickens:

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need:

* Diatomaceous Earth

1.
Step 1

WHAT IS Diatomaceous Earth
It is a natural product , made of fossilized remains of diatoms, a hard-shelled algae that is mined & crushed into a powder.

WHERE TO GET IT
Swimming pool supply store
2.
Step 2
COFFEE CAN with holes poked in the lid
COFFEE CAN with holes poked in the lid

CAREFULLY & QUICKLY
Sprinkle some Diatomaceous Earth on & around the FIRE ANT NEST , It doesn't kill right away , it clings to the FIRE ANTS & they carry it into the nest & spread it all through the nest. It slowly dry up the ants & kills them.

Use a coffee can or a cleaned out jar with hole poked in the lid to shake the Diatomaceous Earth on & around the nest , Get a good covering but you don't have to totally cover it. AGAIN do it quickly or you will get bit ! ! !
3.
Step 3

BE CAREFUL , a FIRE ANT bite can be painful & if you are over come & bitten a lot they can kill some people.

If you are afraid to go close to the nest ,you can't do a quick application from a 3 to 4 feet away. Get a hand full of Diatomaceous Earth & as you walk past the nest toss the hand full at the nest , it is best to get a direct hit for best results.

Then in a 10 to 15 foot circle around the nest use the shaker to apply it all around.
4.
Step 4

IS Diatomaceous Earth SAFE
It is totally safe , it is non toxic , is not poisonous & will not harm pets or kids.

I found this on ehow.com.........hope it helps, it works wonders on other ants.

 

[threehorses]

I'm sorry but because poultry eat the dirt, DE that is pool-grade is definitely not safe. However Food-grade DE (ordered online) IS. Please go food-grade, never garden or pool grade.

Personally, we use permethrin dust here - plain old poultry lice dust. I don't use Sevin any more as it killed all my beneficial animals here. But we have such dreadful issues with fire ants, even in our homes here! Because of my birds, I refuse to use products that can't be used on the bird itself. That's why I use permethrin.

Incidentally, if you can get to the nest, kill it. A friend of mine used baking soda - poured onto the nest, and then a lot of white vinegar: ant volcanoe. It also gets deep into the mound and kills them. stir the top when you're done. It will not hurt chickens. It will kill ants.

I second moving them. The fire ants, now that their trails are laid by their scouts, will come back and swarm.

For the injured chicks, use neosporin ointment rubbed in well. Make sure all your birds there have electrolytes in their water to combat the stress.

 

[crtrlovr]

Quote:
THIS IS ONLY TRUE FOR THE FOOD GRADE DE!! Never, ever, EVER use pool grade or anything not SPECIFICALLY labeled as FOOD GRADE around your animals.

 

[Mrs Stumpgrinder]

UPdate:

I have lost another chick

Mom and the remaining are doing OK so far. I have the coop closed off to other chickens and caked with seven dust. I will try the food grade DE

Thank you soo much for your help and concerns. I will keep you updated on the progress of the others.

 

[LWeekly]

We're covered in fire ants here too and I hate putting out poison because of the dogs and other animals. If there's a place in the yard where I need to clean out the ants but don't want to use poison, I use lots of boiling water.

Boil pots of boiling water and dump it on the nest. Keep pouring boiling water on the nest so that it soaks down and cooks all the ants. Keep reapplying boiling water until you finally kill the nest. This is not as fast as poison or other options but it's relatively cheap and may help since you have chickens nearby.

 

[obe10]

yeah sadly ants will do that. you need to move them.

 

[stupondo]

A good thing to use is cinnamon. I use it on our ant hills and it works great even on fire ants. Not sure about using it with chickens but I know it works on ants.

* Use the ground kind- get a large container and sprinkle all over. I think it is safe for other animals.