How to keep down the insect population?

[firedove]

cedar oil is really bad for many small animals, especially rabbits, and I have heard that it is really not good for chickens either, hence why you don't use cedar wood chips. Cedar is a great natural bug preventative but it can also be bad for some animals.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

My order of 10,000 fly predators shipped yesterday! I'll update in a month or so, after they've had a chance to make a difference in the pest population around here.

 

[chickbliss7]

I bought a regular fly trap from Ace Hardware and placed it several yards away from the pen. That seemed to do the trick. The trap is loaded with flies, and only an occasional one comes into the pen. I'm also being extra vigilant about picking up the poop in the pen every morning. Be sure to put it far enough away so you can't smell it-it reeks! Good luck.

 

[purpletree23]

Cleaning the coop everyday isn't necessary. Look up 'deep litter'. Either on Google or on this site. When the litter gets old enough it attracts fly predators.

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
maybe the litter attracts flies and the flies attract the predators..