How do I attract lots of bugs?

[FarmerGirl]

I want some bugs for my new girls. How can I get massive amounts of bugs to come live on my property? LOL

Someday I'll raise earthworms but not this year. In the meantime, what would work?

 

[MTchick]

Large areas of wet newspaper or cardboard on the ground will attract a million pillbugs/roly-polys. You have to keep it wet for well over a week to become a true pillbug farmer.

Other than that, I am not sure.

-MTchick

 

[dlhunicorn]

...please review this chart on HELMINTHS ...these are parasitic diseases brought over to your bird through them eating insects
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/htm/bc/tpou05.htm
...not all insects harbor them but encouraging your birds to eat earthworms for instance (wild ones...I imagine you might be able to perhaps farm them though personally I choose farmed mealworms instead) is ill advised ... (of course your bird is going to find the occasional worm in the field...not saying you should freak out when you see them eating one... but the fact of the matter is , this is one of the sources of those worms in your birds!)

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Yep, or just some old boards or pieces of plywood on the ground. I keep feed in steel cans in the run and when I move them the birds go nuts over crickets and and other bugs hiding under there.

 

[edbama2]

I keep a kiddie sand box in my run filled with water. When I clean it out, I move it and you would not believe all the bugs. My chickens look foward to the nice tasting bugs and fresh water.

 

[cookinmom]

Plant a garden!!

Just kidding! I had a hornworm experience this morning and am still freaked out. No bug (I know, it had more than 6 legs, but you know what I mean!

) should be able to get that big!

 

[naturemom]

You can buy Japanese beetle traps that catch them in bags haging below the traps. I've heard of people hanging these in their chicken runs without the bag, so the beetles fall out of the trap and into the run, where the chickens are waiting to snap them up.

 

[MTchick]

Hornworms are actually weird caterpillars. They grow up to be a big moth.

An insect! With extra "false" feet! Crazy, I know. You were right to count the feet, but hornworms are very tricky.

To attract moths, you could put a bright light bulb about 4 ft off the ground on a white wall at night. No cover, just the bulb. In the morning, it will be a pile of fried, delicious bugs. Mmmmm... tasty.

-MTchick

 

[rufus]

Hang a bug zapper over to chicken yard. As they get zapped, the chicks will eat them.

Rufus

 

[TreyClark281]

Quote:
thats what i was thinking or you could vacuum your yard lol.