Help Flies Everywhere

[dragon30276]

I keep my quail under my deck which is covered by a roof. The ground underneath my pens is rock but always gets saturated with each rain. The flies are mainly attracted to the feed that falls from the pens and when it's wet outside it is a breeding ground. I have tried traps which are somewhat effective but not touching the thousands if flies that I have. I have tried borax as well as bug zappers. Nothing is working. Dawn in water sprayed through my sprayer kills the flies but more keep coming. I want to wash the areas but I am afraid that more water will create more problems. Please help.
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[dragon30276]

 

[cmobley]

Flies love moisture my pen is 6 feet long 3 feet wide i have about 30 quail right now in it. I get a 50 lbs sack of pulverized lawn and garden lime and dump it under the pen to soak up moisture. I also use alot of sand to help with moisture. There is a thread on here about one guy getting sacks of topsoil and dumping under his and just raking it around every few days. But honestly the flies and stink will be an ongoing battle. After these quail i have reach 12 weeks im outta the quail raising business ive fought the rain flies and stink long enough.

 

[TheHenThtRoared]

Herbs!!! Bugs hate herbs and flies specifically hate basil. Tear some up and scatter it around. They will hate it, and your birds will LOVE it

 

[kristenm1975]

That's a great tip, TheHenThtRoared, thanks!

 

[goodb]

Herbs!!! Bugs hate herbs and flies specifically hate basil. Tear some up and scatter it around. They will hate it, and your birds will LOVE it

That's why I love this site!!! Thank you for the tip.

 

[MrSplintered]

Why don't you try some carnivorous plants? I use sundews with great success. I bought glass candy jars at the dollar store for a buck each to put them in. They help keep the humidity up. I use sphagnum moss and coco fibre for substrate. You can find seeds for great prices on ebay. Hope this helps