Beware of AMDRO FIRE ANT KILLER!!

[Drew Loker]

Hello. Is it possible that there are multiple Amdro products, and there is one that is safer to use?

I have been buying a variety of Amdro bait for a long time that does not list birds as a hazard. This as before recently becoming a chicken owner. But I have always been concerned about toxicity to birds and fish.

Most ant killers state: "extremely toxic to fish, birds, etc." and strictly warn against using around water supplies. So, I have avoided using it. However, Amdro sells a variety that at least doesn't state the severity of toxicity such that I have assumed it is safer to use.

The reason I am concerned is that we recently started letting out the chicks from their coop and run to a barnyard where Amdro has been used recently, albeit sparingly. Since introducing th chicks to the coop, I have been avoiding using the bait near their coop, but didn't anticipate that we would let them out. And, they keep making their way over to a section where I applied the bait to kill some ants.

It has rained a couple of times, and I have reread the Amdro to confirm that the bait is the lesser toxic version. But, I have always wondered if it was deceptive marketing. I do know it was recommended to be by a bird watcher originally many years ago.

Thanks!!

 

[McChooky]

I know this is an old thread bu this article will help you know which products are safe to use . Its all in how to use them. http://fireant.tamu.edu/files/2013/05/2013-Fire-Ant-Bait-Misc-Control-Products-5-30-13.pdf

 

[Sarahh_Janeyy]

Entomologist here. I used to work with fire ants. Practically nothing works on them because they are opportunistic feeders. The active is hydramethylnon, which is nontoxic to birds and mammals:
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/molecule-of-the-week/archive/h/hydramethylnon.html
What's more, after it rains, it's basically inert. They coat corn cob with hydramethylnon because the active doesn't dissolve in water.
That said, there's tons of other stuff your birds could get into in your yard they could die from- other pesticides are far worse. In general, baits for insects have to be fairly nontoxic to be left in the environment. It's one of the pros to using baits over contact sprays. If you look up the weeds (or even ornamentals) in your yard, there is tons of stuff more toxic than ant baits. Just my 2 cents.

 

[McChooky]

Always read the material safety data sheet MDS for the individual chemicals and products you're using.

 

[Lurch1313]

Don't know how well known this is but please do NOT use AMDRO or most of the fire ant killers that are on the market. They are DEADLY to all birds and therefore chickens. The warning about deadly to birds is in VERY small print on the containers so it's easy to miss.

Once they eat even a little bit they are dead within the day. I killed 3 of my favorite girls when I was still new to chickens by using this ant bait. Since it's deadly to all types of birds I personally think it shouldn't even be on the market but a lot of people buy it without realizing they can kill off their songbirds and any other ones including chickens.

There are a very few that are safe but make sure to read the containers VERY carefully before you use them.

I use a pot with a brick on it and put it upside down near a fire ant nest with the Amdro underneath. Works great and no dead or sick chickens.