Fly control...!

[ohbella]

Hello
iam really very new to chickens, this is my first summer with my fine feathered friends...

i would really use some advice on fly control.
right now my two (soon to be five) girls have one area about 10X10 feet and access to a side yard about 15X40. the smaller area has alot of flies and the larger area is starting to get bad too
the smaller area *had* a nice shade tree, until the overenthusiastic gardeners cut it all the way back grrrr
i desperately need something that i can put (spray) in that area to keep the flies down. i currently have the rescue fly traps there, but that just not cutting it.
they eat and scratch in this area and it borders my neighbors yard. My area isn't technically able to have the girls but my neighbors don't mind, as long as it doesn't become a nuisance... see my problem?

help!?!?

Paula

 

[noodleroo]

I saw on another thread that spraying white vinegar on the area works for flies. I haven't tried it yet, but it could work by neutralizing the odor of the chicken poop- it works on carpet for pet bodily fluids and the odors associated with them.

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

we are using DE and it really is helping! We bought ours at the local feed store! Flies seem to be horrible everywhere this year.

 

[tammyd57]

Rescue fly traps? Are those the ones with attractant/bait in them and the flies drown in the water? If so, that is your fly problem. Those things attract every fly within about 1/2 mile of your house. That's why there are a lot of flies right there. Put the traps as far away from the chickens and your house (or your neighbor's house) as you can. I hang fly traps about 500' from my house and chickens on the pole out by my well. Draws the flies over there away from everyone.

 

[arherp]

'fly strips", "fly paper", etc works great!

 

[ohbella]

you know, i was wondering about the fly traps, if they are bringing more of them in!
i have them right in the "affected" area.
ill move them and see if that works
with the DE, i just spread it in their area?
right now its just the packed dirt that's naturally there

thanks~
paula

 

[kimbalaya]

I've never tried this with chickens, but we used to have lots of flies where we lived in SoCal not far from a poultry farm. We got a ziploc baggie (lunch or quart size is fine) and filled it up with plain old tap water. Then hung it up in the doorway of our porch area. The hundreds of flies that were swarming in the back end of the porch were literally down to 2 or 3 flies the next day! We've used water baggies ever since. Don't know why it works exactly (if you Google you'll find all kinds of theories), but it's one of those old wives' tales that really does work. It's worth a shot, it certainly doesn't cost a lot, and won't hurt anything to try it by your chickens! Just hang it up on the beams or somewhere nearby.

 

[ohbella]

iam going to try all of these ideas

going to the feed store for some DE, Grocery store for some ziplocks and vinegar, moved "bag o' flies" already

any ideas are surely welcomed and will be tried

also, does anyone know what type of ground the flies like? damp, dry, cool, hot?
i could try and make that area as unwelcoming to them as possible too

thank you all so much!
paula