Freshly cleaned coop - this does not makes sense to me....

[Sally PB]

I have two parrots in here, and it does help with the fruit flies.

I have tomatoes spread on tables to ripen, and I have fruit flies! Going to use it for them too. Thanks.

 

[Rockergirl]

I have used diluted peppermint oil /water spray on flies successfully. If you have any mint growing I'd pull some leaves and add them too. That would be safe for babies.

I have all sorts of herbs growing...do you think throwing them in there will help? That's a great idea!

 

[Rockergirl]

Somehow the solutions you all gave, fixed the problem! I still have some flies, but the normal amount of flies, nothing crazy. I spread DE everywhere and I also spread herbs all over the place (peppermint, mountain mint, rosemary, basil & lavender). The babies are back outside and super happy! I'm honestly shocked it worked and so fast!!!! I kept the babies away for about 4 hours or so, but we did put them back out just before it got dark (since we noticed the flies were getting much better and the babies were so cramped in the dog crate, one was just spinning around in circles and the other was just walking in circles around the water dish...). THANK YOU!!!!!! I really thought this was going to be a huge issue for quite some time.....

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

You might also try peppermint oil. Make a spray of it and do the inside of the coop and all around.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003C54M9A?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details

It is supposed to ward off insects and mice, etc. Google it. LOL and best of luck.

 

[JCC]

I just cleaned the coop and the covered run yesterday and put fresh thick layer of hemp bedding down (in both the coop and the attached covered run. I walked out this morning and the place is COVERED with flies. Including the coop (their bedroom/nesting area) which I've never seen a fly in (I clean poop daily). I don't understand. When I say covered, I mean I personally walk through a sea of flies when I walk inside, actually, it even starts on the outside....hundreds of them. I'm perplexed....there was dirty old bedding that had been there for 6-8 months and it was just a normal amount of flies, nothing crazy at all. I put fresh bedding and it's a sea of them...

What worries me - I just put my 5 week old chicks out there (separated from the big girls) - and there are is covered too....I'm so worried these flies will hurt them somehow, disease, etc?

I do have fly traps out there - the hanging kind with the stinky liquid in it. But - why would I have a sea of flies after freshly cleaning the area.....? What do I do? What about the baby chicks?

Sounds like you need a different bedding. Throw out, or compost the existing. Wouldn't worry too much about health, but the flies are annoying to all.

 

[Debbie292d]

How fast does it take for the DE to work? I moved the babies to my screened porch inside a small dog crate...no where for them to really move around at all...hoping to put them back out before dark but it's still infested. I sprinkled DE everywhere and put up one fly strip and one fly cup thing with liquid...nothing happening yet....the big girls are still our there. I sprinkled it in their poop board un the coop and all around....they are in the outdoor run, next to the covered run, so that isn't as bad....but they'll have to go in at night

The DE I use is more for the prevention mites, lice, and in case those flies laid maggots anywhere I don't have pellets. I should have clarified that in the beginning as it's not really killing flies I don't think, but would kill anything else crawling around in there.

 

[aart]

The DE I use is more for the prevention mites, lice, and in case those flies laid maggots anywhere I don't have pellets. I should have clarified that in the beginning as it's not really killing flies I don't think, but would kill anything else crawling around in there.

I tested this theory......had a bunch of maggots on top of a poop bucket once, covered them in DE, they were still alive a week later.

 

[nuthatched]

Somehow the solutions you all gave, fixed the problem! I still have some flies, but the normal amount of flies, nothing crazy. I spread DE everywhere and I also spread herbs all over the place (peppermint, mountain mint, rosemary, basil & lavender). The babies are back outside and super happy! I'm honestly shocked it worked and so fast!!!! I kept the babies away for about 4 hours or so, but we did put them back out just before it got dark (since we noticed the flies were getting much better and the babies were so cramped in the dog crate, one was just spinning around in circles and the other was just walking in circles around the water dish...). THANK YOU!!!!!! I really thought this was going to be a huge issue for quite some time.....

DE won't do diddly jack.
especially if it's damp. Get what others have suggested, don't worry about mixing it with the DE, since de is inert, it won't do anything.
You need to get a rein on this.

 

[Debbie292d]

I tested this theory......had a bunch of maggots on top of a poop bucket once, covered them in DE, they were still alive a week later.

Okay, so not so great for maggots. Makes sense as it's for bugs with an exoskeleton, of which maggots are not, they're squishy lol. Oh well, I just was grossed out so is what I did thinking at the time it would. If there's a ever a new massive fly invasion, I'll know that won't do it.

 

[Double Yolked]

Our neighbor farms mushrooms and his compost attracts (and breeds) flies by the thousands. So I know exactly what your going through.
I found Rescue Outdoor Disposable Fly trap worked extremely well to get rid of them with out nasty pesticides I didn't want near me or my pets or chickens.
There's non-disposable ones as well but frankly I didn't want the ICK of cleaning out the dead flies.
One thing! Place the trap well away from your house or your neighbors living areas. The traps do have an odor. But dang do they catch flies.