can we talk about pest control? please??

[mickeymousears]

Ok the flies are gross! What do you do to control them?

And lately I've noticed yellow jackets -idk if that's related to the flock or just a coincidence.

And while were at it mosquitoes -not from my house but maybe someone has a trick to get rid of them cause they LOVE me!

 

[True Grit]

I read some posts on here about vanilla scented car trees driving flies away. Being in Minnesota and almost rural I have to spray myself down with deet when I go outside in the summer.

 

[mickeymousears]

Thank you for your response! Yeah I try to avoid pesticides on my skin. I was thinking about getting one of those bug zap lights- but I don't really want to attract them to the house. So I'm on the fence.

Has anyone tried fly parsites? Do they work?

 

[Honeysucklefeathers]

Do you mean in the coop? I hang tansy, lemon balm and sweet annie in the coop and use the deep litter method with straw and have very few flies. Also crumble dried tansy in the nests, helps to repel bugs.

 

[mickeymousears]

I mean the entire yard- but the coop is a nice start -flock free ranges during the day.

Please excuse the stupid questions im about to ask:
What is tansy? And sweet Annie?

And what is the deep liter method?

We are in the process of making the floor of the coop sand- which I hope will cut down the flies. But the rest of the yard has tons of flies.

 

[Honeysucklefeathers]

I'm sorry! Should have explained. They are all herbs I grow in my garden. Grow some specifically for that reason.
Deep litter method: I use straw and keep adding to it until it is about 10 inches or so deep. Chicks keep it stirred up and the poop deteriorates quickly. In the spring I clean it out and put it on the compost pile, and start over again.

If you'll google it, I'm sure someone else can explain it much better

It works well for me.

I also use the herbs in the nest boxes and sprinkle some Sevin around occasionally. Never had lice or mites.

 

[mickeymousears]

I love the herb idea! I'm going to look for those-never heard of them before! Someone before us planted mint under our bedroom window and now its overgrown and wild but I love it when they nap it there- makes my room smell so good and the flock smells even better!! Nothing like cuddling a minty chicken!

So would straw work for ducks? I just picture it becoming a wet moldy mess. Everyone shares a coop.

 

[Honeysucklefeathers]

Don't know about ducks. However, mint will work as well. Just hang it up to dry and crumble it around in the bedding!!! You can grow some tansy for next year, but I'd sure try the mint. Don't know how you are set up but if your coop is tall enough you might tie the mint in bundles and hang it inside the coop to dry. I always prefer using natural things if I can! Good luck to you!

 

[OneTenthAcreAndAChicken]

I was starting to have a problem with flies. I dusted in the run and inside the coop with DE, and that seemed to really help. I use pine shavings in the coop, with a board under the roost that I scrape off daily. Now I just have to deal with the compost pile...

 

[Honeysucklefeathers]

That's interesting. I don't really have problems with the compost pile either. Maybe the herbs help there too?