Pemethrin yard spray?

[Shaste]

The thatching ants are already getting out of hand this year to where I can't go into the yard in flip flops. They are also starting to go into our chicken run. They bite/sting horribly and steal the chickens' snacks and I'm sick of it. I was thinking of spraying permethrin around the yard but worried about the chickens eating the grass that has been sprayed.

Is that safe? Can I still eat the eggs if the chickens are eating sprayed grass? Any other ideas? I've tried diatomaceous earth with no benefit. We have been co-existing with them for 15+ years as we're surrounded by forest but I want to carve out a little space for myself!

 

[Shadrach]

The thatching ants are already getting out of hand this year to where I can't go into the yard in flip flops. They are also starting to go into our chicken run. They bite/sting horribly and steal the chickens' snacks and I'm sick of it. I was thinking of spraying permethrin around the yard but worried about the chickens eating the grass that has been sprayed.

Is that safe? Can I still eat the eggs if the chickens are eating sprayed grass? Any other ideas? I've tried diatomaceous earth with no benefit. We have been co-existing with them for 15+ years as we're surrounded by forest but I want to carve out a little space for myself!

You should most definitely not spray your yard with permethrin.
Wear boots/shoes if you're keeping livestock.

 

[Shaste]

You should most definitely not spray your yard with permethrin.
Wear boots/shoes if you're keeping livestock.

Is it not safe for the chickens to eat sprayed grass? Is there a half life for this stuff? I do wear boots to the barn and in the pastures out of deference to sharing the land (we have horses too) but I'm over getting bitten just for walking through my yard.

I thought permethrin would be a safe option as I know people use it for parasite infestations.

 

[Shadrach]

Is it not safe for the chickens to eat sprayed grass? Is there a half life for this stuff? I do wear boots to the barn and in the pastures out of deference to sharing the land (we have horses too) but I'm over getting bitten just for walking through my yard.

I thought permethrin would be a safe option as I know people use it for parasite infestations.

It's safe enough on chickens and on people. Most head lice treatments are permethrin based for example. What one doesn't want is it leaching into the soil because it's toxic to most water creatures and some others.

 

[Shaste]

Thanks, that's good to know. We live near a seasonal wetland and I'm hyper vigilant about what gets into the water table so I'll double check safe application around water.

 

[EddieSalita]

Permethrin is very highly toxic to fish. Very very. Also to cats.

Wholesale killing insect life in your whole yard isn't the ideal option. You're going to kill a multitude of things the chickens like to eat. No to mention all kinds of potentially good bugs.
A borax based bait station may be enough to systemically eradicate the entire nest without so much collateral damage.
Permethrin isn't systemic. It's a short term solution on a whole yard scale. You're just going to knock down the numbers. Not kill the nest.

There are other poisons that are highly systemically effective on ants. Just make sure they are poultry safe. Hence the borax suggestion. A trap type that the chooks can't get at will kill the whole nest in a more natural way.