ants in feed..... o no

[Bedste]

I have a huge container filled with Goat Feed ..... and now ANTS! Do I have to toss all the feed or is there a safe way to remove the ants.... my poor goat.... I hope she hasn't already eaten an ant or two.

 

[20kidsonhill]

I doubt the ants will hurt her any. Do you have pelleted feed or sweet mollasses feed?

There is an expiration on the feed, if it is mollasses feed and you are storing it out in a barn in the summer heat, it probably only has about 2 weeks on it, before it starts to go bad. It is about 1 month for pelleted feed in the heat.

I don't know what to tell you about the ants. I guess it would depend on how many, and if you can just scoop the top away on your feed, and throw that part out.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

give it to the chickens???? they'd love it ants and all

 

[freemotion]

Then get something with a tight lid for the next bag of grain.....I use a galvanized trash can to keep chewing vermin out, too. A plastic pail will work, like a standard five gallon bucket with a lid, but I find it to be a pain in the tush to struggle with that type of lid twice a day. A gamma lid would be useful. And a determined rat can chew through a thick plastic trash barrel overnight.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Are they black ants or fire ants? If they are fire ants (the red, stinging type) I would not feed it to her. Our GP had some fire ants get into his food last year and we had to rush him to the vet because they had bitten him in his throat and esophagus. The vet said stomach acid doesn't kill them either unless they are chewed up before they are swollowed.

 

[Bedste]

OMG

Thanks everyone!

They are small fire ants...... wow..... i do not want to hurt my Honey Goat.....

so far I sprayed ant poison all around outside bottom part of the plastic trash can.....

 

[20kidsonhill]

Are they black ants or fire ants? If they are fire ants (the red, stinging type) I would not feed it to her. Our GP had some fire ants get into his food last year and we had to rush him to the vet because they had bitten him in his throat and esophagus. The vet said stomach acid doesn't kill them either unless they are chewed up before they are swollowed.

Okay, that is officially gross.

 

[Goatherd]

I wonder if mixing diatomaceous earth, DE, to the existing food that you have would kill the ants? It's safe for your goats, but kills insects. I've seen this done at some feed stores that sell grain from open bins.

 

[Mossy Stone Farm]

I use DE in all my feed bins dogs, cats, rabbits ,chickens ducks turkerys ect... i have no creepy crawlers in any of it!

and i sprinkle it around the ground ( but around here it gets wet it is useless so i have to re spread when i have dry weather)

 

[wendzgoats]

I had a problem with ants in my feed and just sprinkled DE into the feed (make sure you use ONLY food safe DE). No more ants! I also keep Sevin dust sprinkled around the bottom of the feed bin and that seems to help also.