Help with ANTS

[Kyron]

I have a hen thats been sitting sitting on eggs for a little over a month now.

Last week 1 chick was hatched (and doing great!) .... It was during the week so I didnt even notice (I fed them in the morning before work and at night when I get home late)

Theres been 2 other eggs that have cracked (to hatch) but small black ants covered the eggs and killed the chickies...

WHAT should I do??

I tried moving the nest around in the coop, but the ants followed and momma dosnt seem to like me moving her around so much..

The nest is on the ground in the coop.......

I have a heat lamp that shines near her (its 100 out side today)


Should I get a bucket and cut it down and put the nest in side of it? So I would have to move the eggs?


Thanks!

PS I searched, but I couldnt find any thingabotu ants attacking cracking eggs......

 

[KandJsmama]

I don't know how to keep the ants away from the eggs, but we use diatomaceous earth in the coop, around it and where ever we find ant hills in the yard and within a week we have very few ants left and the ones that are still there are very slow and weak. Make sure it is the food grade DE, the swimming pool filter type can harm your chickens if they ingest it.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! I've lost quite a few nests to ants this summer (more than the usual).
The only respite has been keeping the area under and around the nest boxes sprinkled with Sevin dust. It repels ants if applied regularily.
Some people don't like using Sevin dust, and if that is the case, maybe DE will help.
Good luck! Nothing more disheartening than a nest of pipped and pipping eggs being eaten (in the shell) alive by ants while the hen sits and tries to pick the biting #$% off herself.

Lisa

 

[Kyron]

Thanks........

 

[chic little]

Sure cure for ants or roaches Borax
in the laundry soap isle. sprinkle it all around the coop.outside and in .
and raise the nest at least 1 inches of the floor.on a few bricks.or piece of wood.

 

[Fluffy-Butt-Farms]

we have red ants here, and was told by someone who use to show chickens to use 5% seven dust. i sprinkle it on the ground, the coop and have used it on the chickens to control lice. i dont have any sick chickens from it, and no ants to speak of.

 

[doublebow]

I used DE piled all around the nest box last summer because we have fire ants so bad. That helped. But then I found spinosad. It is approved for use in organic operations. I used it in a bait form called "come and get it"