F$&Kin flies!

[pacelli27]

I tried to create our own little farm in the Ca desert. I would like to have our extended family come and enjoy it with us during birthday parties, holidays ect. But the F-in flies! I’ve tried everything Peth (whatever it’s called) I have to do every few days I feel like, lavender plug ins, dia earth, buzz off electronic pest plug thing, cleaning poop daily. What really works? Nothing is more embarrassing then a fly landing on someone’s birthday cake. I hate them! They make me feel like a dirty gross pig lol!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I hate to say it, but I just don't think we're going to win a war against flies.

They get bad where I am, too, and I find that fly tapes work very well in rooms...but that doesn't really help in outdoors situations. My Muscovy would eat flies, but it didn't really make a noticeable dent in the population.

I hope other BYCers have creative and effective suggestions to offer.

 

[HenHouse4Life]

I hear ya! We had a dairy farm move in a mile up the road and BAM.... hundreds of flies at my coops.
My go-to fly remedies are 2 things:
1) Vanilla. Flies HATE vanilla. Vanilla anything.... even the little tree air fresheners.
2) those cheap fly traps you can buy at farm or big box stores. Just make sure you hang them way off in a far corner because after it sits (especially in heat) and then the wind kicks up just right it seriously smells like death.... but that's grossly what flies like right
Good luck to you

 

[CCUK]

Not much you can do to get rid of them, especially when it's warm. I gave tried sprays and sticky paper traps but I can't rid them. No matter how clean either. One poo and it's covered in flies. I've heard lemongrass is a good deterrent but the chickens will likely eat it! Maybe a few planters out of chicken reach could work.

 

[Fairview01]

Old sticky strip fly paper works best. Traps work because there is a lure that attracts them. Luring more flies in seems counterproductive to the solution.

When we're having a wet spring I simply tactically retreat until it dries out. They got the numbers on their side.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Deep litter in the coop and run can help some.

 

[Trish1974]

When I had horses I used Fly Predators in the barn and in their stalls. It REALLY REALLY helped! Here is the product link:
https://www.spalding-labs.com/

 

[IamRainey]

I use sticky paper columns in my run. Make sure to hang them high enough that the chickens can NEVER reach them!

I fill up 3-4 of them every Summer. It's not going to eliminate all the flies but the chickens attract 'em with their poop, the sticky paper grabs 'em and the modest number left over to bother us are simply the cost of living outside in the nice weather.

No one is ever going to die from a fly landing on their birthday cake. If that were possible it wouldn't be an overcrowded planet. And why waste energy being embarrassed when they've got 'em at their house too? I guarantee they do!

 

[Trux]

Rescue fly traps and fly paper I get at TSC
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/catchmaster-giant-fly-trap-30-ft-roll?cm_vc=-10005
https://www.rescue.com/products/traps/disposable-fly-trap/
This is for reference so you know what your looking for When ever I hang one of those traps up I also put up a couple strips of that fly paper up near them. It catches tons of flys

 

[Trux]

Rescue fly traps and fly paper I get at TSC
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/catchmaster-giant-fly-trap-30-ft-roll?cm_vc=-10005
https://www.rescue.com/products/traps/disposable-fly-trap/
This is for reference so you know what your looking for When ever I hang one of those traps up I also put up a couple strips of that fly paper up near them. It catches tons of flys