buy some guineas and all your troubles will go away. Loud buggers that scare the neighbors away and alert you when there is something not right in your yard. And they totally massacre ticks, beetles, and every other creepy crawler in your yard. They are life savers as far as i am concerned. Oh yea and they taste great too.
Ticks & Chiggers
- Thread starter Peach2u
- Start date
Thank you for posting this great information! I was about to ask about chiggers, as our neighbor's manure pile seems to attract all sorts of creepie things - and I end up with chiggers if I don't wear rubber wellies all spring...sigh.
________________
--Blessed are the flexible, for they will not break --
In Illinois
- Thread starter
- #13
An update on our problem:
First thank you for all the great answers. I did buy DE at my local feed n seed. I was told it isn't for live stock so I was concerned about giving it to my chickens in there feed. So, I dusted it around the outskirts of the pen and under the coop. The currant 31 chickens took care of the rest
We have moved in, and our flock is old enough now to run the yard. Since I have let them out, the only ticks found in the area is the otherside near the pines. They haven't gotten that brave yet. They have also gotten rid of my fire ants! They scratch at the hill eat the ants then dust in the left over dirt! The coop is out of sight from that end. They seem to stay in sight of the coop or our front porch. I'm waiting on them to dicover the 3 acre field on the other side of the dirt drive way. I'm going to have it tilled this fall. Not the whole thing just a large stripe closest to the road. Garden on one end and wild flower on the other. I think I would rather see wild flowers than tall grass there. I am just happy I can walk in my yard with out getting tick. BTW anyone need some rooster I ended up with about 18 extras out of 29 chicks this year. Ameraucana's,BCM & EE's think there is a male golden comet too. The last batch was suppose to be sexed. But I have a feeling I ened up with some more roos!
First thank you for all the great answers. I did buy DE at my local feed n seed. I was told it isn't for live stock so I was concerned about giving it to my chickens in there feed. So, I dusted it around the outskirts of the pen and under the coop. The currant 31 chickens took care of the rest
We have moved in, and our flock is old enough now to run the yard. Since I have let them out, the only ticks found in the area is the otherside near the pines. They haven't gotten that brave yet. They have also gotten rid of my fire ants! They scratch at the hill eat the ants then dust in the left over dirt! The coop is out of sight from that end. They seem to stay in sight of the coop or our front porch. I'm waiting on them to dicover the 3 acre field on the other side of the dirt drive way. I'm going to have it tilled this fall. Not the whole thing just a large stripe closest to the road. Garden on one end and wild flower on the other. I think I would rather see wild flowers than tall grass there. I am just happy I can walk in my yard with out getting tick. BTW anyone need some rooster I ended up with about 18 extras out of 29 chicks this year. Ameraucana's,BCM & EE's think there is a male golden comet too. The last batch was suppose to be sexed. But I have a feeling I ened up with some more roos!
- May 13, 2008
- 10,684
- 192
- 321
Quote:
Ridding your yard of tick's and bug's using guineas is fine if you can handle the incessant loud noise they never shut up LOL, reminds me of a gaggle of women at a shoe store sale hehehehehe.
Ridding your yard of tick's and bug's using guineas is fine if you can handle the incessant loud noise they never shut up LOL, reminds me of a gaggle of women at a shoe store sale hehehehehe.
Quote:
Ditto on the heads up for this stuff. Never heard of it!
Can't wait to see what other pearls of wisdom you share with us!
Ditto on the heads up for this stuff. Never heard of it!
Can't wait to see what other pearls of wisdom you share with us!
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Quote:
Perhaps you bought the wrong kind of DE. It needs to be FOOD GRADE DE, I've never found it at any store. I've had to order it online.
Perhaps you bought the wrong kind of DE. It needs to be FOOD GRADE DE, I've never found it at any store. I've had to order it online.
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For chiggers on humans, once they are on you, buy the lice shampoo that you use for kids. Rub it on the bites and around the area before you go to bed. It kills the chiggers. Then be sure the take a bath in the morning. Works great. I'd love to be rid of the chiggers here. I've never tried it on ticks that have attached, but have heard it works to make them let go, should you have one attached to you.
- Jul 10, 2009
- 2,173
- 79
- 299
- Thread starter
- #19
Chiggers are killed very easily. They are not designed to feed on humans and just brushing them off once they bite you kills them. The red spot you see on your skin is the result of wiping off a chigger while feeding. It breaks off the feeding tube and they fall off and die. The insane itching is from the saliva, it has a digestive enzyme that dissolves cells. It is the liquefied tissue that the chigger suck up not the blood. Gross humm!
Simple soap and water washes them off and kills them if you do it before they have a chance to dig in. Once they do bite and are killed while on you, only time will make it better. Inti itch cream will help with the urge to scratch Benadryl if you have a lot. Best defense is DEET and socks over your pants and gloves over your long sleeves. But who wants to do that in the summer lol.
Simple soap and water washes them off and kills them if you do it before they have a chance to dig in. Once they do bite and are killed while on you, only time will make it better. Inti itch cream will help with the urge to scratch Benadryl if you have a lot. Best defense is DEET and socks over your pants and gloves over your long sleeves. But who wants to do that in the summer lol.
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- Thread starter
- #20
Guineas I thought about it. But the farm next door has them. I can hear them over here 15 acres away! No thanks the rooster and 2 toddlers are loud enough!
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