How to deal with flies, urban setting?

[happyhen]

Keeping everything clean, odor free and dry seems to work for me. I do sprinkle the coop and run with the food grade DE every other day after cleaning, and occasionally, after heavy rains, I sprinkle Stall-Dry in the run.

I must be lucky 'cause I have more flies on the dog piles DH cleans up in the evenings than anywhere near the chickens.

 

[Doughpat]

Ok--I just bought a 40# bag of DE, but it says its mixed with bentonite clay. It looks like the stuff people have been describing, very fine dust basically.

I have searched the forums but havent seen anything about it being mixed with clay. I can't remember the name of the brand, i want to say Red ______ . Its definitely food grade. The label mentioned it can be mixed with food for all kinds of livestock. Is this the right stuff?

Thanks....
Ryan

 

[LynneP]

Black Flag, Vapona, TSC, Home Hardware and other chains sell a wax block in a plastic hanger called a 'No-Pest strip'. It's permeated with pyrethins, and keeps away flies, ticks, lice, fleas, mites. Best insect control I've ever used. Can be used in homes, restaurants, coops, barns, stys...avoid hanging over food/water. Keep out of reach of animals. Homes with these never have fleas on their pets. I also use food-grade DE in the litter. No increase in flies since I got chickens; in fact, I hardly see any. I agree that keeping your birds dry is also a key. We have a roofed run so the girls don't drag mud, cocci organisms and insect eggs in.

 

[Seattle Garden Girl]

JennsPeeps makes me a little less worried, if she's havng fly problems in Tacoma, too. Frost would do the trick, but then there goes any hope of ripe tomatoes (always a challenge in the Pacific NW).

I got a 'phermone' based fly trap that seems to be trapping alot of them. I wanted to avoid sticky traps, because my neighbor has honeybees. The girls have two runs -- one covered, one not, so thanks for your comments about keeping them dry. Will also try to find the food-grade DE. Also looking forward to making those homemade traps. Much cheaper than the store-bought!!

 

[3peeps]

Quote:
If it can be mixed with livestock food, that should be right. Mine says that, also.

Be careful not to breath in the dust. I get a little careless at times with mine. It spreads around with a vengeance when there's even the slightest breeze.

I've been using a lot lately because of the fly problem. Also, I can vouch for the fly paper traps you hang, and for the liquid fly traps. I bought a liquid trap and it smells (to me anyway) like something rotten. I'd go for the homemade one next time...at least I will know what that stink actually is!

We had a major hatch after a rain. Our garage was totally infested one morning. The first night I hung a cheap paper sticky trap, I caught hundreds within hours. Since then, I hung four more...my husband even put one in the house by the door. I thought it was just us because we had recently started using our new chicken tractor and the chicken manure was sitting on the yard from that. But, when I went to a "chain coffee place" (think mermaid) in town a few days later, even they had flies. It actually made me feel better!

Our fly problem is greatly reduced now...we still have some, but it's not the shocking disgusting scene it was.

 

[MicMoo]

Quote:
Jenn,

Where do you find DE in the Seattle/Tacoma area?

 

[JennsPeeps]

I bought it online. I tried several places and none had the food grade DE. I even had the Portland Ave Nursery call their supplier & all they could get was the horticultural grade.

Like I said, purchased & shipped it was about $27. I can't remember where I got it.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I'm sure it ok and it's food grade. If the bag says it can be mixed with food for all kinds of livestock it has to be food grade.

 

[the simple life]

You can order it online from many companies, just do a search and make sure its food grade.
You can also type in Perm Guard.
I got mine from Shadow Ridge online

 

[tvtaber]

I use something called "Stall Dry" and it has helped with the flies tremendously. It is DE and clay processed into tiny grains. I sprinkle half a yogurt container in the litter after tossing the litter every couple weeks and the whole thing is dry and odor free. best thing is the flies have virtually dissapeared in my yard and house. I think I'll add some traps and maybe get down to none! The best part was I could not find DE and the Stall Dry was available locally.