Buffalo Gnats are back *UPDATE*

[riverfishin]

I'm using cedar chips sevin dust now i'm goona do the banana boat thing. I have no way to keep my chicks in the dark.

 

[so lucky]

If they don't go in the dark, I guess that explains why my chickens put themselves to bed early this evening. They went in their dark house about an hour and a half early. I guess I will put a strong fan on them tomorrow.

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

I'm using cedar chips sevin dust now i'm goona do the banana boat thing. I have no way to keep my chicks in the dark.

Have you tried vanilla mixed with water and sprayed on the chickens? I have used it with great results. I have also used vanilla scented carpet spray, body mist and car deodorizer.

Spray the chickens and hang a dryer sheet soaked in it on the windows or cage wire.

 

[cornfieldgirl]

New to this board but not chickens. This is the first year we have lost chickens to what we think were the buffalo gnats. We bought five new girls, they are now about 3 months old. Over the weekend we suddenly lost two chickens who were doing just fine, one black sex link and one buff. We are really devastated. I had absolutely no idea that chickens could die from gnats. I live in Iowa and due to the flooding, the gnats are severely bad this year. My daughter and son were both bit and ended up on antibiotics.

I have talked to everyone around here and found out that many of us are losing chickens to the gnats. And the day we lost them, the gnats were relentless around the chicks. The gnats are swarming everyone and everything. I know for next year but still very sad.

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote: If you have a natural food store near you, get the good vanilla and use it- works like a charm. I also get the stuff from the Mexican market in a BIG bottle for really cheap and use it undiluted.

You can spray down any surface, especially roosts, windows, ceilings, etc. This allows residual vapors once it's dry. I also spray the chickens directly. Makes a huge difference.

 

[bird man 12]

if any one knows if these are some of the problems that they are having let me know because gnats are swarming our coop.

neck feathers are gone

the neck is black and is bleeding

blood is coming out of the mouth

huddle up and cover their faces

dance around and it sounds like tap dancing

PLEASE!!!! let me know and respond as soon as possible. I don't want anymore to die

 

[constance63]

I have used the hand cleaner Goop. I works awesome for people I do not know if is ok to use on birds. it only takes a dab and you won't even know the gnats are there.

 

[vickichicky]

does the tanning oil work to?

 

[constance63]

I use a nontoxic biodegradable hand soap called goop. I only have 5 chicks and they are 5 weeks old. When I hear them cry I grab the goop and put a little on top of their heads. The gnats stay away and the crying stops.

 

[BlueMoonFarm]

Bumping this thread...thanks for the good information! My neighbor lost 2 healthy chickens last night to gnats. I didn't know it was even possible until she called me. My girls were 100% normal yesterday, but today no one would leave the coop. They started shaking their heads late this afternoon and I knew we had a problem. Honestly, though, the signs were so subtle that I probably wouldn't have thought twice about it if my friend hadn't filled me in. Scary to think I could have been too late before I realized how dangerous the gnats can be! (I will note that while the gnats are driving my horses nuts and attack us humans every time we step outdoors, I have not noticed them AT ALL in the coop...so apparently it does not need to be a giant swarm to cause big issues for the chickens.)

The only thing I had on hand from the list above was Skin So Soft (but no spray bottle), so I just drizzled in in my hands, rubbed my palms together, and started trying to coat the chickens. I also put the Skin So Soft all over their roosts. Tomorrow I will head to town for a spray bottle, some vanilla, and a couple of the other products mentioned. I hope that a combination of them all will do the trick.

I noticed today that most of the girls seem to have runny poo...would you think that is due to stress from the gnats or could the gnats have given them some kind of infection?