HELP! Flies have me at wit's end

[microchick]

We've had so much rain here that I'm starting to think we live in Washington state instead of Missouri so the flies have been terrible here also. Rake the coop, they go for the food. Hang fly strips,they are black with flies in 48 hours. I have a fan on. The rooster loves it. He stands right in front of it with his wings hanging open and a look of bliss on his face. The flies seem to love it also,unfortunately. I keep the bedding raked and turned daily-I use the deep bedding method-and just cleaned it out. Nothing seems to work.

The flies are particularly bad in the morning when we go out to open the coop. I feel like going out with a can of Raid in both hands to do battle. Just kidding.

I wish the bleepin chickens would eat them. We'd be saving a bunch of money.

 

[snow5164]

Hey maybe not kidding about raid!! I have a can of "raid max "home insect killer, I had to use it when we had so many lady bugs in the dog kennel that the ceiling was black

Sprayed window trim inside and out all doorways and closed it up tight ( with no animals inside) for one hour, I had to vaccum them off the floor.
Budgies are sensitive to aerosol products are chickens??

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think any animal is sensitive to poison, whether aerosol or not.

 

[snow5164]

Ok, that doesn't help at all.....house Birds are sensitive because of respiratory problems to aerosol products. Are chickens prone to the same issues???

 

[microchick]

I'd be more worried about the chemicals they were inhaling.

I might check at the local MFA and see what they have on hand for dairy barn and poultry building use. There has to be something that is both safe and effective.

 

[Folly's place]

I have chickens, horses, and cattle, and order fly predators every year, from Spalding Fly Predators. No insecticides outside to kill the bees and other bugs and amphibians, and pretty good control. I use permethrin dust under the bedding in the coop too. This year it's all about the mosquitoes, the real nightmare! Mary

 

[Mini Meat]

I have chickens, horses, and cattle, and order fly predators every year, from Spalding Fly Predators. No insecticides outside to kill the bees and other bugs and amphibians, and pretty good control. I use permethrin dust under the bedding in the coop too. This year it's all about the mosquitoes, the real nightmare! Mary

In my area, if you call vector control, they will come and help you identify the sources of the mosquitos. They will provide mosquito fish for troughs and such.

 

[eviemethugh]

I see several say that the fly tape isn't enough. Have you seen the 12" wide sticky fly traps sold at tractor supply? We used them for the first time this summer and they wipe out 90% of our problem the first day. It is a cyclical process because the ones you are killing have already laid eggs. But the first time we used them, I had been killing with a fly swatter and catching with liquid traps only a few common house flies. And thinking I was catching most. The first day we caught about 10 different looking flies and hundreds of them, way more than I realized we had!! We now rip pieces off and just lay it around like one piece near the bags of food, one near a trash can, one near our meal worm house, etc. it keeps it sooo under control. One of our chicken houses was cured of its problem in a week. The other chicken house we have the fly paper stuck to a wall so the chickens don't get tangled in it and they eat the flies off of it so there are just legs left
I do think it takes multiple types of attack at the same time. But we love this paper! And it's made to attract flies.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

In my area, if you call vector control, they will come and help you identify the sources of the mosquitos. They will provide mosquito fish for troughs and such.

What state is that?

I see several say that the fly tape isn't enough. Have you seen the 12" wide sticky fly traps sold at tractor supply? We used them for the first time this summer and they wipe out 90% of our problem the first day. It is a cyclical process because the ones you are killing have already laid eggs. But the first time we used them, I had been killing with a fly swatter and catching with liquid traps only a few common house flies. And thinking I was catching most. The first day we caught about 10 different looking flies and hundreds of them, way more than I realized we had!! We now rip pieces off and just lay it around like one piece near the bags of food, one near a trash can, one near our meal worm house, etc. it keeps it sooo under control. One of our chicken houses was cured of its problem in a week. The other chicken house we have the fly paper stuck to a wall so the chickens don't get tangled in it and they eat the flies off of it so there are just legs left

I do think it takes multiple types of attack at the same time. But we love thiI's paper! And it's made to attract flies.

I'll try it, thanks.

 

[Stuffedcritter]

Lady bugs don't like bay leaf wont harm the dog.