FLIES!

[OwlLover]

Since its spring, flies have decided to invade both my coop AND the house.

I'm not talking about just a fly here and there that goes away within a day or so, this is a SWARM. I understand that flies come with having chickens, but this is getting ridiculous. The coop is about as clean as a chicken coop is going to be, I give them fresh food and water, there is no mold, etc there is absolutely NO REASON that there are so many flies around the coop. I'm not exaggerating in the least here, yesterday I counted 34 flies around the coop. I don't know where they are coming from. And now they are getting in the house, flying around my face, and only landing on the ceiling, of all places.

This is making me INSANE. I've tried sticky fly tapes, flyswatters are useless because they are impossible to get around the coop and in the house they only land on the ceiling (I'm not kidding!) or other impossible places. I hate fogging, but I will use it if I have to. This is getting out of control. Please help ASAP!

 

[pinkaliboo]

I just read a post about this in the "coop" section of the forums. Apparently flies don't like vanilla scented fresheners that you use for your car. The lady that posted it said she gets them at the dollar store and hangs in them in the coop and the flies stay out. Maybe you could try that in the coop and in the house too.

 

[KoopOnTruckin]

I know this is an old thread, but I figured I'd add some fun/GROSS photos...

I bought some $5 traps from TSC, they came with a bag of powder bait that didn't have the best reviews. I disagree, the bait it came with was AWESOME! See the photos below, this is after my 3rd time dumping a full canister. The first photo is after only 2 days in the sun, and the second photo was 24 hours later - it's like the more flies are in there, the more it attracts them! I also added some of the blue granules (by themselves, I didn't get ANY dead flies...) to the water to assist in killing them once they're in the trap.





I wait for them to fill up about 3/4 of the way, then close the top and swirl them around for a minute so they drown. The blue bait helps kill them, but when it gets so filled, the flies create a "raft" that the others can stand on.

I also got the sticky traps for inside the house - pretty gross to see how many of them get into the house! But it's better to have them stuck to a trap then flying around inside.

 

[terryg]

What do you mean by,"the coop is as clean as it's going to be?" Manure management is the key, and that starts in the coop. It's easy to scoop up manure daily with a kitty litter scoop, or a fine-tined pitchfork. Dryness is also key - add pine shavings as needed. You can add dropping boards. Remove the manure and put it in a compost bin, and cover with weeds or dirt each time you add it. It takes only minutes a day and greatly reduces fly issues. You might be interested in this compost system that I have: http://hencam.com/henblog/2012/02/compost-bins-and-chicken-manure/

 

[TCchickies13]

I'm a fly control professional (an Independent Pest Control Operator).
While manure management is important, the truth is that the flies tend to breed in the first 2-5" of the soil. The life cycle of the various flies requires more than the coop floor can provide. Think about it- you would be able to see fly larvae/maggots if the breeding area was in the coop.

The simplest means to begin controlling fly issues is to apply Agricultural Lime to raise the Ph of the soil to 6.8-7.0, if possible. Flies require an acidic medium for successful breeding. Determine the Ph and apply the necessary quantity of lime. This will be an annual chore that is well worth the effort. Your birds will enjoy healthier and more nutritious grasses as a result of this simple fix.

If the issue is to the point of "Wow, look at all the flies", I would recommend Cyflutrhin (Tempo Ultra WP made by Bayer) applied to the exterior of the coop. Cyflthrin has excellent "knock down" properties. Generally, the flies prefer to be in the sun and don't care much for shade. Following the directions on the label, treat the west and south sides of the coop where the flies congregate. Cyfluthrin is also very effective on mites and lice. This is a safe and proven insecticide that has a very low toxicity for people, pets and livestock. The chemical has a finite life- about 30-45 days- it will degrade quickly and leave no residue in the environment. If used, simply allow it to dry completely before allowing the birds in and around the coop.

If you are more patient in your efforts, you could use a natural control mechanism. There exist many insects that are fly predators (use that as a search term). These predators, consisting of natural and indigenous species of flies and very small, non-stinging wasps, can be purchased online very easily (the species vary depending on one's geographic location). This mechanism of control will take a year or so and must be repeated annually. I have used this method for some of my clients that have a desire for a more organic means of fly control and it really works.

Good Luck

 

[carolsparkle]

flies in the house-- could be from your shoes tracking fly larva and eggs into your house. Sprinkling DE on a door mat outside or inside your back door will help with this problem. the coop-- the fly trap bags with water-- yes they catch flies-- but I wonder does it also cause flies to multiply also ? ? ? ? DE sprinkled on the bedding floor helps to dry out the poop & fly eggs. The vanilla car-air fresheners help along with the DE for inside the coop. golden malrin is a poison that you can use with care outside the coop. I take a milk carton and cut four 1 inch triangles -- one triangle near the top on each side of the carton. Take yellow duct tape and make a little frame around the triangle and then make a black frame with black duct tape around the yellow duct tape. Flies are attracted to the bright yellow and the black makes the yellow stand out. Carefully place 2 tablespoons of golden malrin in carton with a funnel over the sink. Hang about 5 feet off the ground outside where the chickens cant get to it. If you put a bait like meat or fish or etc --GOLDEN MALRIN will take away the smell of it. DE is diatomaceous earth. Make sure you get food grade kind--NOT the swimming pool kind. DE is available at SOME feed stores. It is not easy to find. I'm new at this chicken thing. I hope this helps.

 

[1stTimeChknMama]

I recently ran into the same problem, bombarded with flies in the coop. Well we've had quite a bit of rain & i only found out reading on this board that hay/straw expecially when wet/damp/moist is a breeding ground for flies! I quickly got rid of ALL hay on the floor. There is only enuff for there nests/bedding which stays high & dry. Also keeping the poop out daily or covered & dry has helped tremendously in only 3 days. They have an all sand/grit floor so the poop dries quickly & is easily scoopable to remove!

 

[OwlLover]

What do you mean by,"the coop is as clean as it's going to be?" Manure management is the key, and that starts in the coop. It's easy to scoop up manure daily with a kitty litter scoop, or a fine-tined pitchfork. Dryness is also key - add pine shavings as needed. You can add dropping boards. Remove the manure and put it in a compost bin, and cover with weeds or dirt each time you add it. It takes only minutes a day and greatly reduces fly issues. You might be interested in this compost system that I have: http://hencam.com/henblog/2012/02/compost-bins-and-chicken-manure/

Exactly that. I clean up the manure daily, give them fresh straw every day, etc I'll check that link out.

And yes, I do understand that flies are inevitable when you have livestock, but I'm trying to at least get them to a tolerable level.

 

[terryg]

The deep litter system is appropriate for some set-ups, not all. You have to have the right number of hens for the space, you have to keep it dry, you have to get rid of mounds of manure. It doesn't work for many small coops. If you don't do deep litter, there are zero issues with keeping things "too" clean. I do believe in having a compost pile in the chicken pen. That's the best of both worlds - the hens get a fun place to scratch with lots of things to eat and layers of microbes, and the rest of the area is kept clean, dry and manure-free. You can see what I do here:
http://hencam.com/henblog/2012/03/compost-in-the-chicken-run/

 

[Erin K]

I recently got the bag kind of fly thing and it might be my favorite $5 purchase EVER. There are about a million flies in it after just a few days. I noticed a HUGE reduction in flies around. I don't mind some, it's outdoors and there is poo and such, but before I got the bag thing it was out of control. I feel like it is at an acceptable level now.

We had had a TON of rain and I heard that really contributes to it. Last year I didn't really have a problem.

We did get a few inside but my 6 year old son is magically awesome at using a fly swatter. He can get all the flies in the house in just a few minutes. I've never seen anything like it. I should send him over to your house!