Flies!

[getaclue]

Several years ago, someone told me to try sprinkling dried basil all around in my coops, and runs. I thought they were nuts, but I decided to give it a try. Sprinkle it like you would on meat. Not overly heavy, but broadcast around giving nice coverage. I was shocked to find out it really works. The next day, there will be few, if any flies. You may want to sprinkle a bit more the next day, if your chickens eat some of it. Mine do. Don't worry, it won't hurt them any at all. Within a couple days, your fly problem will be gone.

 

[Birdielee]

Several years ago, someone told me to try sprinkling dried basil all around in my coops, and runs. I thought they were nuts, but I decided to give it a try. Sprinkle it like you would on meat. Not overly heavy, but broadcast around giving nice coverage. I was shocked to find out it really works. The next day, there will be few, if any flies. You may want to sprinkle a bit more the next day, if your chickens eat some of it. Mine do. Don't worry, it won't hurt them any at all. Within a couple days, your fly problem will be gone.

Good to hear it from another person. Someone told me to try it but i cherish my basil. I'll have to get a bulk bag of basil and try it

 

[getaclue]

Get the cheap dried stuff. It works great, and isn't very expensive.

 

[Birdielee]

Flies are CRAZY here right now. Despite the heat, I often wear long sleeves and pants when I go out because they are everywhere. I have tried many things over the years, and honestly, I haven't found anything that will work completely.

However, I do like the trap-and-toss devices made by Starbar. They are disposable and kill contain hundreds of flies at a time. I post them on shepherds hooks around the poultry area and on the livestock fences. I now have one on my deck to deter the ones that want to come into the house every time the door opens.

I bought a starbar trap and toss fly trap. It worked. I have never seen so many flies in one place in my Life!
I added more water a couple of times, just spraying up into it with the hose.
I sloshed some flies and stink-juice out one time to make space for new flies (and i had overfilled it with the hose).
Before i sloshed juice out of the trap, I thought the smell was surprisingly non offensive. But that stuff is NASTY. Even so, it was all normal again after I quit messing with it.
Yesterday I emptied some out (buried what I sloshed out), then had it in its usual location, by my 2 smelly-poop hens and it caught about half an inch of flies in one day.
Then, contemplating tossing the trap in the garbage, i moved the trap to the front yard. Today i htink i caught most of the flies in the neighborhood. So gross and so awesome. Except i think the robin needed some of those flies, because he started eating blueberries! Which we have never seen a robin do.
Thank you for suggesting this trap. It was so worth 10$
I tossed about 500 flies in the garbage. In 2 bags.

 

[Callender Girl]

Glad it worked for you!

 

[speedy2020]

Glad it worked for you!

I am using the bug zapper and it is very effective. The killing rate about couple hundreds in 12 hrs a day. Here is a link to it and on page3. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/english-ixworth-rooster.1384307/