Will mosquitoes suck my pullets dry?

[suburbanhomesteader]

I am just about finished with my chicken tractor for my pullets. I think Bo is about 3 months old, and I think the 4 production reds (sounds like an R&B group, doesn't it? Bo and the Production Reds! LOL!) are about 2 months old (Bo is fully feathered and getting quite strong; the reds are almost fully feathered, except for their heads).

Do I have to worry about mosquitoes sucking their little bodies dry or causing anemia? I can't go outside in the evening or morning without getting at least a dozen bites. There is no standing water in my yard, but I live in a poor neighborhood and nearly everyone has tires, unused trash cans, other trash and other likely-looking culprits in their yard.

How about fire ants? Will they be smart enough to hit their roost if something is bothering them? (It's so cute to watch them fly up about a foot and roost in their play pen!)

Thanks for your help!

 

[foxtrapper]

Basically, no. Mosquitoes will not suck your birds dry.

Fur and feathers make a very good protective shell that the mosquitoe cannot get through to penetrate the skin.

And before I get jumped on, yes, mosquitoes do sometimes suck animals dry. It's rare, but it does happen. Only in areas with *lots* of mosquitoes and not enough hair to protect them. Sometimes cattle up in Canada and such have this happen. A dozen bites in the morning isn't anything like enough bugs for this. If you come in reeling, dizzy and swollen from head to foot, then maybe you need to be concerned.