DE is AWFUL!!!

[TnChickHen]

Jake, how big is your coop? Mine is 100 sq. ft.

 

[FarmKat]

Is DE Diatomaceous (sp?) Earth?

 

[jjthink]

Quote:
Yes, and it needs to be Food Grade.

JJ

 

[bloom_ss]

After reading this, I think I'm gonna have to go get some sand for my coop! I am very new to this so I am still learning the best way to keep things. I was told to get pine shavings, but that doesn't really seem to make the cleaning any easier and it just gives me a bunch more stuff to get rid of since I can't sort out the poop from the shavings.

 

[perchie.girl]

How about the vanilla air freshener on a shoe lace around the neck..... just thinking out loud.

I have friends that made a fly trap for those biting flies....

Not this guy but I just about fell off my chair reading it......

http://www.instructables.com/id/Deer-Fly-Traps/

Sorry I have a need to giggle right now....

the site I was looking for is here
http://www.spalding-labs.com/Horses/GuideToFlyControlForHorses/FlyControlFundamentals.aspx

near the bottom you will see a square constructed box with a fly trap on top. hanging underneath the box is a big black ball. The flies are attracted to the ball like they would be to cattle out in a field. They lite for a snack find out its not food and take off again. the trick is biting flies fly straight up when they leave the ball .... Up and into the trap.

I know someone who made a small one using a beach ball some black spray paint and canvas walls. Terminating in a container they cant get out of like a fly trap. He said it worked like a charm for his back yard.

good luck in finding a solution.

 

[LilyD]

Quote:
I use pine shavings because I can get them locally (i would have to drive a ways to get construction sand) the shavings on the floor of the coop I change once a month. They don't really get it too messy. The only place I clean daily is their roosts and their nesting boxes because I don't want to stick my hand in poo collecting eggs. Sand sounds cool but don't you have to change them sometimes?

 

[ivan3]

ADE (amorphous diatomaceous earth) is most useful, for fly control, as a desiccant (poop drying adjunct). High humidity/less than adequate drainage and it is time to hunt for DDT at estate sales. Heat index, here, has been running ~110° F and we're at peak Green Fly season; we've been feeding poults crushed, hard boiled, eggs and, if they aren't quick, the pile of egg will be covered with flies before they get to it. Cecal poops also attract the flies. However, no flies in coop or turkey shed (do clean under roosts daily/turkey brooding areas changed out/ runs raked). The sand/ADE in runs and Sand base in coop/shed with wood chips with small amount of ADE mixed into them has worked to suppress fly activity at this location. Shed/coop are completely emptied out every spring - sand from both are added to runs. Right now turks/chooks are going through moderate molts - raking up about 3/4 pillow's worth daily (quick job owing to sand). Helps to place runs on slight incline, if possible.

Try SEARCH, IIRC, there are some pretty creative fly trap threads.

 

[Erebus]

You could always try some essential oils like clove, lavender, citronella, garlic etc. It's not hippy so much as the types of defences that plants have against insects

If next summer is as bad as the last year we just had (we have trees that attract flies) I may buy good old fly paper to hang from the ceiling of the coop.. I can leave them for the birds afterwards!! I used my son's butterfly net to catch zillions of flies and fed a sick chick mainly flies for several weeks and she thrived

 

[BayouPoules]

Quote:
Just a note to say we had some fly bags that were a different brand that were lousy,.. they hung out there for a week and had only a smidgen of the number the green and yellow Rescue brand had,.. the Rescue brand...stinks,.. ,.. really stinks,.. but it works.
the other brands we have tried that use pheromones ,. not so good.

The vanilla air freshener only seemed to keep the flies away from the immediate area,. but they just moved to another part of the yard. So I do keep one on the porch.







I hate flies,.... they sit at my back door waiting for someone to let them in,.. and how do they know to disappear when I pick up the fly swatter?

 

[ll]

I tried making a fly trap with an upside down jar, paper cone, and tupperware container - none caught in 3 days so I figured my cone is too tall.

Don't give up on the DE ... try taking out poop pieces 2x a week (every 3 days) and you should notice a difference?

I also found this on the internet:
Country Vet AutoMist Dispenser & 2 oz. Refill

and this too:
http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/fly-control-program