Blue backed houseflies

[countrygirl57]

I've had chickens for 2 summers now, & I haven't had this problem before. This morning my front yard is covered with these huge flies, everywhere the my hens have pooped. I know flies are naturally attracted to poop, but why has this just happened now, I don't know .Any advice anyone?

 

[PhilErvin]

Food grade Diatemaceous Earth sprinkled on the poo should help. I have also hung one of those stinky fly traps out and it id full of flys.

 

[dawg53]

I've had a bad fly problem too this year for unknown reasons. As a matter of fact, I've never had a real bad fly problem til this year, it couldve been the record cold winter we had that mightve had something to do with it, I dont know. I filled my sprayer with 50/50 bleach water and sprayed the pens while the chickens were free ranging. It worked somewhat. A few days later, I dusted the whole pen with DE, didnt work. I waited a week hoping the flies would go away but it got worse. I moved the chickens to another pen a good distance away. Then I went in the 'fly pen,' and let them have it with the raid ant and roach killer. They dropped like flies! (pun intended lol) I resprayed that evening. The next morning there were no flies in sight and using the raid was successful. Knowing I contaminated the pen with the raid, I worked my butt off completely covering the pen with about 3 or 4 inches of fresh dirt and packing it down...an all day job and it was hot! I then sprayed the bleach water on the new dirt also. I waited a few days before I put my hens back in their pen and it all worked out well with no issues and with only a few flies hanging around. It has rained since and still no flies hanging around. I hope I dont have to go thru this again. Flies carry all kinds of diseases and parasites and I thought it imperative to get rid of them.