Am I the only one with a gnat problem?

[Brooster's_mom]

I live close to the Wisconsin River, very sandy soil and have a HUGE gnat problem. (Actually Googled "how to get rid of gnats" in relation to chickens and that is how I found this site!) Anyway, tried a suggestion of pure vanilla extract spray, and my girls were NOT happy with that procedure. Also read something about prorethrin?pyrethrin? something along those lines. Well, I went to the local feed store and got two canisters of a "dust' with the pyrethrin/prorethrin in it. Gal at the desk said this year is one of the worst she has every seen.
So here is my question, how do i go about "dusting" my girls? I am worried I will dust them too heavily. Can I mix dust with the sand the girls take a sand-bath in? I know the gnats can kill my girls (in their nostrils/gland areas), but I am afraid Im will do more harm than good with the dust.
Anyone have any hints or some reassurance?

 

[Heathero617]

no...no you are not!!! I walk thru my grass and up they fly and cause a smoke screen around me except they are far more anoying!

 

[bryan99705]

Put it on their dust bath spots and let the birds do it for you. What material do you use for litter?

Might try Equisect, it's a natural water base fly and gnat repellant for horses in a squirt bottle. Can be applied to the birds and in their coop. We've had good results with it, even use it on ourselves, effective and no Deet.

 

[Brooster's_mom]

Thanks for the input folks. I actually sat in my yard and called them to me and had the "dust" in an old tin and lifted their wings, got other areas by hand. Worked pretty well and so far gnat problem has died down (knock on wood). I use wood shavings for bedding at this point. It is cedar, and I was told it was supposed to help keep pests down. Will be changing their bedding to straw shortly (at least for nest boxes anyway). Anyone know if the gnats can get under the skin and cause an "abscess"? One of my girls has a slightly swollen area on her left side slightly behind the ear hole? on her head(hole where slight feathers cover them by her eye) and she is scratching at it and causing some bleeding?