# Ants harm babies?



## FeatherBrain (Apr 5, 2004)

Hi...somebody told me that ants can harm/bite/eat newly hatched chicks..they are attracted by the broken shell and yolk/fluids and that they can kill or harm the chicks...is this true?...Cz my birds are in an outdoor cage..accessible by ants. Will I need to stand thier nesting box (when the babies arrive) in a bowl of water, so they cant reach the nest?. Has any of u faced a similar prob wid ants?...I once lost a newly born baby rabbit this way...long ago.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hello,

I certainly would not stand the nest in water as damp can be a killer! Wait to see if there is a problem with ants befor you tackle it.

If I have a problem with ants around the house I lure them away with jam placed in the opposite direction of whatever they are targetting (eg outside the loft). It works a treat.

There should not be any yoke or egg shell in the nest after hatching, pigeons the eggshell will get thrown out, but if it doesn't get thrown out, just remove it.

Cynthia


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi!

We had a problem last summer with ants in the nestbox, because of moisture and humidity. Ants love it! When I lifted the nest bowl with the babies, they were under the bowl. They never did touch the babies, but I won't tolerate them anywhere around my pigeons.

Since I couldn't use any toxic spray, I just cleaned and cleaned, and got rid of them because I was a nuisance to them!

I did use an organic germicide, while the babies were out in another cubby, and sprayed the cubby bottom, let it dry thoroughly and put the clean nest bowl with the babies best.

It is just extremely important to clean everyday and keep everything dry, that way you can kill them before they do any harm, and also the ants don't like being disrupted everyday, and will move away.


Treesa


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## patspigeons (Jul 14, 2002)

Hello, I had to answer this one because I had a problem with sugar ants, the little black one`s. I have to poison them every year. They are bad around my pigeon coop and will kill newly hatched baby`s. I live in a dry area. Just have to watch for them and destroy them asap! Good luck, Pat


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

So much must depend on where you live and what sort of ants you get there. I live in the UK, where the ants are mild little things, they are not even a nuisance to me. I can imagine that they would be different in Pakistan.

Cynthia


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## Nanci (Jul 4, 2003)

Here in the US, in Florida, we have horrible fire ants. I heard on the news a couple summers ago of fire ants actually killing an elderly woman in a nursing home. They came in through her window, and thousands of them bit her, and she died. 

Nanci


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

That sounds horrible, Nanci!


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

They are horrible indeed. Their bite itches forever, then you get a horrible bump, that is painful and itchy and if you sratch it it forms an ugly scar that leaves a hole in your skin.
I can imagine it must be terrible for little baby pigeons and painful.
Reti


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## brotherstwoloft (Jan 25, 2004)

hi everybody, i use sevrin powder, it does not harm the birds at all, i put it in a coffee can and punch holes in the top. every time i clean i sprinckle it in all the nest boxes and even in the nest bowls and the perches. really the entire loft, it keeps all the bugs out and when the birds fly around and kick it up it lands on them.their is no lice on any of my birds. hope the information was helpful.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

That's a very good idea.
Thank you.
Reti


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

yes, ants are not good. i would keep everything off the ground level. i lost a baby sparrow.


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## FeatherBrain (Apr 5, 2004)

Whew! finally..after a few days I can view these posts..
Well..Ants are a HUGE problem in my area. Red ants..black ants...tiny biting ants..u name it..we got it.
I had to stannd my feed bowl in a water bowl cuz the ants would carry the grain away. i was surprised to find a mound of grain in a corner of the cage. Standing the bowl in the water helped. I dont want to use sprays (too much aftereffects).
Distracting them with sugar seems a good idea..N what i meant by standint the box in water was....put the "feet" of the box in a shallow water bowl...the water isnt in contact wid the nest...I am careful about dampness in the age cz i know it isnt good 4 the birdys. --but then...the eggys arnt here yet...so I'll just see what happens.

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/\/\.$


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Featherbrain,

You could use the seven dust to deter ants, by sprinkling it around the perimeter of the coop. That way it is not near the food or water.

I live in Florida where ants are also a real pain. I just kept harrassing them and they left, the daily cleaning does help, as mentioned earlier. 

The germicide is not toxic once it dries out and any trace of it in the air is gone. You just have to be careful how you use it. 

Once the babies are born it is just important to check them alot and start cleaning everyday when the babies are about a week old. The daily janitorial duty helps tremendously.

Treesa

Good luck. let us know how it goes.

Treesa


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