How many here have or are considering tick devouring Guinea hens for your property?

Just thinking about this since watching that video of that canadian Doctor talking about the moose that were basically exsanguinated by ticks (yuck yuck yuck). All I could think was that there needs to be a LOT MORE guinea hens on peoples property since the birds first love is eating ticks.

So does anyone here have any (we have 5) or is anyone thinking of getting some?

I would have guinea hens if they didn't make such a racket - that just wouldn't work in my quiet neighborhood (or for me, really ;).

Had them - still got Lyme. I'll stick to the hens that are a bit easier to keep for the eggs.
I'll be setting out tick tubes come spring to help the mouse population here from transferring the infection to the ticks.

LOL! Glad you asked!! I thought the same thing the first time I heard that!!

"Damminix Tick Tubes® are biodegradable, cardboard tubes filled with permethrin treated cotton balls. Mice collect the cotton to build their nests. Deer ticks that feed on mice in the Spring and the Fall are exposed to permethrin and killed. All the while, the mice, other mammals and your lands are unharmed and undisturbed."

www.ticktubes.com/
*And for those that are wondering, no, I don't get a darned thing for mentioning them - dang it!! I wish!!


How to make your own tick tubes - which is actually pretty economical:
organicdailypost.com/make-tick-tubes/

Thanks for the tick tube idea, i have chickens and considered guinea hens till i heard how noisy they can be. My neighbors probably wouldnt appreciate it.

I've just learned that permethrin is toxic to bees. :(
Try this instead?

http://organicdailypost.com/cedar-oil-the-best-natural-tick-repellent/

Well, we have to remember that we are not putting permethrin on plants that bees will be visiting - they are going on cotton for mice to make their warm cozy beds with. Then the permethrin will coat the mouse's fur and keep the ticks off of them.

I plant lots of flowering herbs and even the massive sunflowers for the bees, so I worry about them as well. =)

What about dryer lint? Those look like a great idea and I think we're going to be making some.

From what I read you only have to put them out in April and July when the mice have babies? Something like that. Totally doing this.

Yes, we love 'em but the guineas are pretty loud and we're not quite sure that our neighbors don't hate us. They say they don't but when you see our 5 guineas lined up on their front railing screaming at their chihuahua through the window (and crapping on their front walk) ya gotta wonder.

Traveler: I can totally see the guineas screeching at the hubcaps. Such weird birds. Ours just like to yell at the air mostly.