How does everyone handle fly control?

[clucky2]

Okay...now, WHAT are fly predators?

 

[Woods_Woman]

Quote:
Dito-I've never heard of fly predators, please inform.

 

[gmendoza]

1. I get my ash from my fireplace( burned pine) and I toss it into my run along with my coop as well as I use pine shavings.do not use hot ash lol1 wait a day for it to cool down to no heat at all!!!DE earth works good to but most ingredients are like fireplace ash.I get no flies,also I have 2 ducks so any ones that slip thru the pine/ash system gets gobbled up by the ducks.

 

[OurFarm]

Quote:
They are a type of parasitic wasp. They parasitize flies. I think they are just too expensive for what they do. I use a varity of methods, We have muscovys & skeeter vacs (they trap insects other than skeeters.). Our chickens go thru the dung piles to eat maggots & pupating flies. We have fewer flies every year, as our chickens learn to go after the dung piles. We started w/ hatchery chickens & they didn't know how to hunt. Each generation is better at hunting. If you pile your manure, it will likely breed flies, the chix can't get down to them. We leave ours out on the pasture, where the chix can get the the pre-flies.
There isn't really anyway to keep flies out of your pile, unless you catch them first. All you can do is see what you can do to keep the pupates from hatching. There are various lures that you could surround you pile with.

 

[Camelot Farms]

Quote:
Dito-I've never heard of fly predators, please inform.

The little wasps are tinier than 'no-see-ums' or midges. And they dont bother people or animals. They go after the larve of flies and eat them before they hatch. If you go online, you will see many different suppliers. I made my 1st purchase in March and had them send through Sept. The next year, I didnt buy any as they wintered over. Waiting to see if any hatch this year. If not, I am ordering again.

I love them and they are well worth the expense here. I think I paid 19.99 a month for those 6 months. I saved that in having to buy fly spray for the horses and goats.

 

[werecatrising]

I ordered fly parasites for the first time- 2,000 for $15.50. How long should they last?

 

[Camelot Farms]

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I ordered mine to come every month during our main fly season of March-Sept. They come in a little bag, you open the bag and let them out. Some will still be in pupa (?) stage, little hard maggoty shell things. So just leave the bag where your birds cant eat them...lol.

With all of he animals that we had at the time, I was going through a 20$ bottle of fly spray a month so the 19.99 I was spending on the fly predators was about the same and no more catching horses and fighting to get them sprayed down.

It does take about a month to notice a difference in the amount of flies as the little predators need time to do their job and start killing off the larvae before they hatch into flies

 

[luvmypyr]

Quote:
i don't think thats what i use .. i call them strips but they are ribbons.. they hang and the flys stick to them. nuisance if they stick to you or a horse face... but the only thing in them is rosin-rubber- mineral oil-tack tape-paper.. maybe i am missing something?

i am excited for the predators now! i am relieved to hear other chicken owners use them with success!!

 

[nursemeh]

could some of you please post where you purchase your "fly larva destroying" bus things. I've done a few google searches and I am just not sure what I am looking for.

thank you!!!

 

[Camelot Farms]

Sure....mine come from spalding labs. I think its www.spalding-labs.com