Biting ants in the goat stall

[SJSFarm]

I was cleaning out just the area in front of the stall door and noticed my ankles were starting to hurt.
I finished the area and as I was locking the door, I saw just a couple tiny ants on my ankles and my ankles were hurting.

There were only about. 8-10 that I saw and squished but my ankles are all red and still painful after an hour!

I'm now worried for the goats, ducks and ducklings who sleep in that stall .

First, are they in danger? and second, how to I safely kill those ants?
Thanks all

[julieq]

We use diatomaceous earth sprinkled on their trails and hills here, but we don't have the biting ones.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Are you sure they were ants? Sounds like fleas.

[SJSFarm]

Perhaps fleas as well as ants. But I only saw the ants.

[o&itw]

I'm a big fan of 5% Sevin. It is mild enough for animal with no problems. It is a contact insecticide, so the ants are not going to carry it back to the nest, but if you know where the nest is you can sprinkle on it directly.

I seldom have any problems with my rabbits or chickens, but if I do, a pinch sprinkled on the back of the animal and rubbed around some will take care of ear-mites, lice, etc. It won't do a very good job on burrowing mites, but it can be used safely for most things and saves ones from usinging ivermectin or one of the other systemics to which many insects build up a resistance. Save that kind of thing for times you get some kind of serious problem. It is much safer that the malathions, and pyrethrins.

[Maura]

baby powder. Put it where every you think their trails are or nests.