ajm200 Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 My girls are going crazy over a nest of red ants that they've dug up on the lawn. I've never seen ants this early in the year before and always thought that they died off in winter (shows what I know). Do I leave the chickens to it or pour boiling water on the ants to kill them off? I'm just worried about the chickens getting stung and don't like the thought of red ants wandering around in the crops stinging them... I've put some diatomaceous earth down round the nest for now I have to say the girls are turning into good gardeners, clearing pests and removing moss from the lawn... now I just need them to leave the borders alone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted April 2, 2008 Author Share Posted April 2, 2008 Looks like the novelty has worn off. They've given up and are all preening themselves like crazy so I guess the ants got the better of them I'm going out with a kettle now to kill off any ants that are left. I don't like killing anything but I don't want the chickens having problems with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Mine are fussy. They only eat flying ants and ignore the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I cannot see how the ants would cause any problems for your girls and now that their nest has been disturbed, given the chance, they would have moved away. They really are amazing, fascinating little creatures. I read once that if ants are coming into your home or somewhere that you don't really want them-all you need to do is ask them politely to leave I understand that this sounds mad and when I first read it I thought the person who wrote it was mad too but one day they ended up invading the children's playhouse so, (When I was alone and no-one was looking/listening) I asked them very nicely if they could move out!! The next day I went into the playhouse and there was not a single ant to be seen-honestly. Months later, my Mum's friend had ants coming into her house. I told her to ask them to leave and after laughing at me and telling me that I was crazy she eventually asked them to move out as nothing else seemed to be working and she didn't want to kill them and true enough-they did. Every last one of them. Not sure if this only works when they are 'inside' but next time any of you have an ant problem-give it a go. You have nothing to loose and if it doesn't work-who would ever find out that you were speaking to ants????? And now I must go as the men in white coats are waiting for me "They're coming to take me away ho ho, hee hee, haa haa" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phosphorus Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 They really are amazing, fascinating little creatures. "They're coming to take me away ho ho, hee hee, haa haa" Agree with that - I have just "created " an Ant Farm for my 3 and 6 year old: ants from the garden and an Antworks kit (some clever NASA created selfsufficient unit). Brilliant, you shut the lid (it has airholes) and they start tunnelling and building homes in the nutritious gel it comes with. I can stare at them for ages - yes you've guessed it : my chooks still aren't here to waste away my hours yet I think they are coming to take me away as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwichick Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I hate ants with a passion. My whole garden is plagued by them. Everytime I work out there they swarm all over me. Everytime it rains they swarm the house. The chickens are not doing their job of keeping the numbers down But, because I'm a kind mother that cares about feeding the childrens minds, I got the Nasa designed, self-sufficient ant farm for son No.1. It was shipped with these big, black, vicious biting ants and a very visible warning not to open the farm inside. We all got such a kick out of watching them dig their tunnels and throw out their dead until my DDH decided to open the lid. INSIDE I'll leave it to your imagination as to what happened next Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 I'll leave it to your imagination as to what happened next Did you have to politely ask them to leave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pookylover Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 They really are amazing, fascinating little creatures. I read once that if ants are coming into your home or somewhere that you don't really want them-all you need to do is ask them politely to leave I do that when I pop a spider out. I ask it not to come back and have never seen it again! Of course, it could have something to do with the door being shut behind it! Still, like to be polite! Clare x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pookylover Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Sorry, I just realised I had to click the quote thing didn't I ? Sorry, never done that before. I just cut and pasted it instead. Sorry. Clare x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phosphorus Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 It was shipped with these big, black, vicious biting ants and a very visible warning not to open the farm inside. We all got such a kick out of watching them dig their tunnels and throw out their dead until my DDH decided to open the lid. INSIDE I'll leave it to your imagination as to what happened next Luckily we used the ants from our own garden - the kids have been playing with them for the last few summers in the garden so I knew they wouldn't be too vicious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwichick Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...