Pests.... for me..

[duluthralphie]

We live in an old farm house with lots of box elder trees near us. (within 50 feet of the house) We get inundated with box elder bugs every year, does anyone know if chickens eat them?

Also those Japanese Beetles, the ones that look like lady bugs but stink and bite?

 

[duluthralphie]

We live in an old farm house with lots of box elder trees near us. (within 50 feet of the house) We get inundated with box elder bugs every year, does anyone know if chickens eat them?

Also those Japanese Beetles, the ones that look like lady bugs but stink and bite?

Just a bump, I am really wondering what to do about them>

Does anything eat them?

How do you kill them without hurting the birds that free range around the house?



I think I called the beetles the wrong name, I think they are Asian beetles and not Japanese. I hate this time of the year when they mount an offensive against us!

 

[hoofpawclawacre]

no expertise! a little experience

Hello, a few years back when we lived in Nebraska our chickens did eat box elder bugs one here or there. They did not stand at a window that was covered and enjoy a feast (what we hope for). I did not see them eat the Japanese beetles. We did not have guineas in Nebraska I wonder if guineas can do a better job? Here in Texas we have guineas and tons of grasshoppers the guineas and chickens gobble them up but do not touch the population just way too many grasshoppers. The guineas do not have a feeder so they are on their own to find their food. If we had a hundred guineas on the main homestead maybe they could keep the grasshopper population at an acceptable level. If we acquired 100 guineas what is more irritating the guineas or the hoppers?! Sorry for the ramble. Just received 30 additional guinea keets a few days ago hoping we can tolerate the noise of guineas and they take care of the over population of hoppers that devoured 80-90% of my garden.

 

[duluthralphie]

I bought 10 keets in June, I have not let them out of the coop and run yet. I am going to in the next couple days, I wanted to make sure they know this is their home. Last time I had Guinea they packed their little suitcases and took off for the hitherland in a day or two.

I am afraid I will need a huge gaggle of guineas for the bugs here..... They are worse than I recall them as a kid. ( I now live in the house I grew up in)