Flies

[okiechick57]

I have SOOOOOOOOOO many flies right now.because of the massive amount of rain , it is near impossible to visit my girls......... I will hang baggies tomorrow..I also did the fly strips......they work great.but I also worried that the Guineas would bump into them on one of their many '"freakouts" as I call them............ I can't wait until this rain stops........

 

[Standard Hen]

Still confused, what does the bag of water & pennies do????

 

[hisbride]

I don't get the baggies with water and pennies. What is the theory behind it? After a month of waiting for DE I finally got some today! I have a sieve that has very small openings and used it to dust the run but I wonder if I am using too much or too little. It looks like I sprinkled powdered sugar in there LOL I dusted lightly in the nesting boxes and in the feed. The chickens were checking it out and they didn't look too pleased. Maybe I should have waited til they went in for the night.

How long does it take for a fly to die once it has come in contact with DE? I haven't attempted to do any fly control yet not that it isn't needed. It's funny watching the hens chase after a fly

 

[lcountry]

suburbanchick -

No, the fly predators aren't a problem at all. They are tiny, tiny - maybe even smaller than a gnat. They don't come around you or your animals at all. They feed on fly eggs and maybe new larvae (not sure on that part). So they stay around the poo areas. The only time that I would even see them is when I was cleaning the stall and moved the poo around. Even then, they never landed on me came around me or the animals.

 

[apbgv]

I think the flies are just terrible this year. I have them in my carport even and there is no stool in there. I think a lot of them are looking for water around here we haven't had rain in ages and alot of them are around my plants and stuff. I sprayed pyrethrin spray keep pdz layed down, the stools dry in no time with the heat and no rain. They just won't go away. I hate flies!!!!!

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

I use Fly Predators and don't think they work I had flies everywhere. With a horse and goats its impossible to control them I started giveing my horse and goats DE mixed in with their feed. this has worked we have very few flies. There are some around the coop but not many as I puyt it in their feed as well The goose yard in the only place where I have seen them I have put the pennies and water up and I think it helps in the coops. When you buy fly predators they tell you it takes time well I have been using them for 5 months and see no difference. Micki

 

[chickensoup]

Planting tansey is supposed to work some. Fly paper works well. I have seen a product that has some sticky tape on the back and fly paper on the front. But they would fill up in no time. I have heard that putting diatomacious earth in the feed (a calcium supliment) will decrease the number of fly larvae that hatch and move on to the adult stage in horse manure, wonder if it would work with chickens? It certainly shouldn't hurt them anyway.

PS. Oh, I get it, DE = Diatomaceous Earth.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

Quote:
I love those fly traps. They have a terrible smell that attracts them and they cant get out. I caught billions of them. You have to break the capsule inside in order for the stinky fluid to leak then add water

 

[bobeena]

About baggies with water: On another site about backyard pests, I read that many people hang these around their doors and the thinking is that the reflecting/refracting light through the water repels the flies somehow. People on the pest-question sites said the baggies don't work well in open areas, like if you picnic in your yard, but did seem to help with flies sneaking into your house.

I recently ordered and sprinkled out the fly predators. I use stinky-bait traps in the yard. I have five hens in a backyard. They are in their pen/dog houses at night and free range in the day. I believe I'm doing a good job cleaning up after them in the pen. In the yard, however, they scatter droppings around in the wooded area, grass, etc. The flies are terrible. I'm in town and we've never had them like this. Other neighbors do, too. A hardware store I use said they've heard such things from neighborhoods all around town, leading me to think it's not just the chickens. No dogs nearby that are outdoors, no big garbage issue, etc. No compost piles.

I am considering an automatic pyrethrin mister but wondered about the safety with the chickens. Actually the more I think about it, the more I wonder if the chickens are worth it. A couple really are pets now...they climb onto our laps, and we like the eggs. But I can't eat in my yard anymore. I'm starting to have nightmares about flies!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

After reading the post about using some sugar and vinegar in water to trap flies, I think I'll try that next year. It's supposed to work as well as the stinky trap attractant, but not smell quite so bad. I'm all for that!