How to keep down the insect population?

[Wifezilla]

diatamacious earth

(I so messed up the spelling on that

)

 

[Iceblink]

My thought (But this is just a thought, I haven't tried it) is to control insects with natural predators. Spiders in the coop and a bat house outside if it works for your area.

Bats can eat thousands of mosquitoes an hour, and are also polinators of some plants.

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
I'd love to see a pic of this.

 

[fairladi_chick]

for the holes punched,, its best to use a hole puncher,, make the holes at the top of the part that was cut,, maybe half inch way down,, make 3 holes is best,,, for the water,, no real recipe i have but i know it works,,,,, prolly half a cup water to 1 tsp dish liquid(i use dawn) & 2 tsp apple cider vinager.

 

[fairladi_chick]

i can post pics tomorrow since it is dark outside in the coop lol

 

[Chauntecleer's Keeper]

Diatomatious Earth - It is a natrual insect control made from the crushed up shells of diatoms (tiny little animals). For a fly, it would be like walking on shards of glass. That is the readers digest version. You can find all kinds of info on the web. Some people have a problem with it because it is just as harmful to benificial insects like bees. I do not have too many bees crawling around in the dirt of my small pasture. If it was full of wild flowers, that would be another story, and my goats would eat them.

 

[kees]

Quote:
The housekeeping routine is very good. What fly predators to you use? Thanks!

Suzy

 

[kees]

Quote:
Can you post a pic for me? It sounds interesting an economical?

Suzy

 

[fairladi_chick]

kees........ i will have to post a pic tomorrow,, & i will!

 

[kees]

Chauntecleer's Keeper :

I have had great success with DE for flies. You can find all the information you want about DE on this website. We put it out in our pen twice a year. I sprinkle it on the dirt and my wife rakes it in. You get it at the farm store. As for mosquitos, there is a gizmo called a thermocell that works great if you are going to sitting in one place (fishing, ballgame, or deerstand). You can get it in the camping section at Wal Mart. Good luck with the Yellow jackets and Wasps. My brother in law says they are the right hand of the devil.

I use DE religiously. It just seems that as soon as a chicken poops, a fly comes out of nowhere. It's absolutely incredible!

How does this thermocell work? What does it look like?

Last year I eradicated a Yellowjacket nest that was the size of a large cooking pot in the ground. From what I've read, each nest can hold thousands of Yellowjackets. I was so scared! Then I discovered that another group was nesting inside the top part of my trailer!

Then I looked up, and lo and behold, was a Paper Wasp nest hanging right above my head. Couldn't afford to have an exterminator come over. Did it myself and prayed that they wouldn't kill me.

Now I notice that there are other wasp nests higher up near the top of the house that I can't reach.

Also plagued by Carpenter Bees. Hate them...hate them... I'm going to fill in as many holes as I can with caulking before it gets warm.

I'm just waiting for the locusts...

Suzy​