Ducks with fleas

[Miss Lydia]

I think that is a great product I am for anything that is natural and works. I hate chemicals.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

It was on sale and I figured it would be good to have choices just in case one product didnt work.

 

[littlecollier]

That is such great news. Thank you @Soon2BChixMom and @Miss Lydia! Somehow gnats seem much easier to handle than fleas ... I’ll pick some of the spray up and clean clean clean when I get home from work today!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

That is such great news. Thank you @Soon2BChixMom and @Miss Lydia! Somehow gnats seem much easier to handle than fleas ... I’ll pick some of the spray up and clean clean clean when I get home from work today!

The bedding was probably the biggest attractant - it had gotten pretty wet from the rain and me not wanting to be out in it to change it.

 

[littlecollier]

@Soon2BChixMom - I think you’re right - their pine shavings are pretty wet at the moment. I’ve been cleaning it constantly but I gave them a bigger waterer since it’s been hot and they keep splashing it around EVERYWHERE. We are in the process of building their coop (right now they’re in a plastic kids pool) and I think humidity/plastic may have something to do with it. Thank you for linking to your post, that was super helpful too!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

My duck house is a plastic play house. So it probably retains moisture more so than wood.

 

[jennybvcr]

@Soon2BChixMom their pine shavings are pretty wet at the moment.

I prefer softwood shavings instead of straight pine. They are 1,000x more absorbent and dry much more quickly. I ran out of the softwood and got pine from TSC and HATED it. I went back to petco and got the softwood right away. That's what I use in my duck house now too. Stays pretty darn clean. I am going to get some of that spray and some DE because we've got sugar ants in the duck house and I don't want them setting up shop in the wood.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/so-phresh-natural-softwood-small-animal-bedding

 

[littlecollier]

Have you had good luck with DE helping with pests @jennybvcr? I’ve heard a little bit about it but don’t know much.

I’ll check out the softwood, I started with really chunky pine shavings (almost borderline bark dust) and accidentally bought the kiln dried pine shavings last time and they seemed a little more absorbent? I’ve been mixing the two and adding that PDZ stuff but I’d love an affordable and absorbent alternative if it’s out there!

 

[jennybvcr]

Have you had good luck with DE helping with pests @jennybvcr? I’ve heard a little bit about it but don’t know much.

I’ll check out the softwood, I started with really chunky pine shavings (almost borderline bark dust) and accidentally bought the kiln dried pine shavings last time and they seemed a little more absorbent? I’ve been mixing the two and adding that PDZ stuff but I’d love an affordable and absorbent alternative if it’s out there!

I have not used any DE yet, but have heard that's the direction to go. My ma has used it successfully. We have a terrible ant problem around my house so I want to get it for the entire outside perimeter, not just the duck house.

 

[Lil Drake40]

DE is really a waste of money, unless you use the kind that has the sharp particles in it it won’t touch bugs but boy is it dusty not good for you or your bird to breathe in. I am talking food grade you can’t use the other at all around our birds. Only thing it would be good for is keeping feed fresher.. They tout it asa wormer to and believe me it isn’t I use to buy it in 50 lb bags