HELP!! It's fly season in FL!!

[suenrob]

This is my first fly season with chickens!! There is no way I can clean the coop everyday, is there something I can put in the coop to help with flies?

I have a sand floor with several inches of shavings which I mix up everday.

 

[Josie]

I have tried alot of the conventional things with conventional results, meaning it alleviates the problem some, but no outright solution. At least there is the upside of watching the chickes chase the bugs!

 

[BamaChicken]

We have used these things you add water to and hang up that have an aweful smell inside them . It draws the flys by smell and they go inside and can't get out. Will hold thousands of flys. Works pretty well.

 

[Blondie]

OK, I know this sounds crazy, but I did this last year and I swear it works. And it's cheap!! Put a couple of pennys in a baggie of water and staple or attach a few in the coop. Here's a pic: (the pennys are in the corners of the baggies, not on purpose, tho)

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
and...........what??

Is it a magic charm??

PLEASE post a little more info.

 

[kaylakala]

yea please elaborate

 

[BeckyLa]

I tried the pennies in the bag thing when it came around last year, too. I can't see where it did a thing but make people ask questions.

I have just as many flies as ever.

 

[southernsibe]

Blondie's idea does work. The flies are confused by the light reflecting off of the water in the bag. I've not heard of using pennys in it before but I would think it makes more reflections. When I've done this I usually put the baggie above a window. When I was in my old house, there was a room near the dog yard that got slammed with flies, nothing I tried helped. The room had the door that we let the dogs in and out of, so each time the dogs went in or out, or we had to go into the yard for something in swarmed the flies. I read about this idea on one of the frugal web sites and figured it wouldn't hurt. It worked very well. I used duct tape and put bags with a bit of water in them above every window on the outside and on the window part of the door.

If you scroll down you will see several similar ideas.

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf851815.tip.html

I like this site, there are some really whacky ideas for things, but I've found a few that work really well and save money to boot!
Rachel

I just saw BeckyLA and wanted to add that you do need to make sure there is some light hitting the bag somehow, and a little breeze goes a long way, even a tiny fan, battery operated would be enough

 

[carousel]

it is a plastic bag filled with WATER.

I have mixed results using this.

flies are starting here also and today I will be a warm day and I know will drive me crazy!

as anyone used parasitic wasps?
I ran into this page while searching the web
http://www.rinconvitova.com/fly_control.htm#Flyparasites

I know I need to get going on something TODAY
CS

 

[NoelTate]

I have fought flies in my coop as well. Last year, I started using the hanging bag traps filled with water with the stinking stuff in it. They worked well last year, but so far this year the one in there does not seem to be doing much for the flies down there. I am going to try lime.