HELP HUGE red ants

[Tlco]

I come home from work today to sit and talk to my baby chicks who vary in age from a week too probably two maybe three weeks. I found HUGE red ants in their area which at the moment is very small. I moved them and their tractor to a different stop where I have other animals and no problems of ants. The ants seam to be after the pine wood shavings and not them or their food. Will the ants hurt my babies? And What can I do?

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Fire ants can be aggressive. I do not recommend using any poison though as it gets on the grass and chickens like to eat grass. There are some solutions more complicated or work intensive depending on your situation and skill level but fire ants are going to be a real pest unless you get rid of them.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/get-rid-of-fire-ants-zb0z1307zsor.aspx

Hope this helps!

 

[oakhollow]

Fire ants are usually pretty small. Just how big are these? Any possibility that they are "cow killer ants"? Those are actually wingless wasps that prey on ground wasps.

 

[Tlco]

Wow not small at all..black and red head dark red body and big enough to pick up large pieces of pine wood shavings and carry them off. I racked up that area put it all in a bad and burned it otherwise I'd try and get a pick. I don't have a clue to what cow killer ants look like

 

[oakhollow]

1/2 inch long? 1 inch long? Any chance of a pic?

 

[Tlco]

Sorry no pic racked all the shavings ants and all into a bag and burned it. I am sure they came from someplace will watch and see if I can get a pic...

 

[Tlco]

Okay no more big huge red ants but now the little teeny tiny fire ants have found them can I use animal grade like for cats or dogs Sevin dust in and around their pen if not in can I use it around I really need some advice quickly I don't want to have to kill my baby