maggot can- it really works to decrease flies!!!

After having a HORRIBLE time with flies last summer, I knew that I needed to be proactive this year. After using beertraps (which were pretty useless) I resorted to poison traps, but in the meantime I looked for other options.... and voila.... the maggot can!!!

It is working WONDERFULLY, I love to watch my chickens gobble those maggots up!!! I use wet cat food in mine and I refill it with fresh "bait" about once a week. There has been a drastic decrease in our fly numbers...proving that something nontoxic can really work!!! I haven't put poison fly traps out in a long while and don't plan on it ever again!!

Below is a picture of my maggot can and a link from BYC where I learned more about them.




https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4123235

 

LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

you do NOT want to see a picture of the inside of that can, honestly, you just don't.


anyway, pulling myself up off the ground(from laughing) I can explain the set up to you.

we took a bucket left over from that frozen margarita mix, but any bucket with a lid will do. I used that one cause it already had a handle attached- made my job hanging it easier. I hung it with a galvanized chain.

I planned the location carefully, as I wanted it to hang from a tree limb, a shady area, somewhat protected from the rain. drilled some good size holes in the sides, all the way around the bucket, many, many holes, as I wanted the flies to have easy access and I wanted the maggots to have easy routes to wiggle out. they wiggle out and drop down into a large plastic planter base, but anything will do for that. i read that some ppl just let them drop onto the ground, somehow I wanted them to drop somewhere specific.

The whole thing is set up in my run, when my chickens are let out in the morning, they run over there first, and I see them wander back over there pretty often, so I am certain large numbers of fly larva are being eaten, as far as me "breeding flies" hell, that has been happening ANYWAY all over my back pasture!!! so if my chickens can eat some of the darn things- good!

I think what is supposed to do is this:
lure the fly that was just attracted to that fresh pile of chicken poo in the run, the fly hangs out inside the disgusting maggot can, lays its egg in THERE instead of elsewhere and voila, the breeding cycle is interrupted for that fly!! (multiply that by hundreds)

so far, I love it!! I use the "old" wet cat food that my spoiled cats turn their noses up at, if it sits too long, they just don't bother- so it is totally recylcing, which I love! I've put bananas in there, old corn too. oh, when I refill it I wear some old gloves and I DO NOT breathe for the few moments that the lid is open. but it just takes a few seconds to "re bait" and then I'm done. At first the maggots grossed me out, but I've gotten used to that -- I LOVE that my chickens are eating something that is actually good for them AND they are helping to control the fly problem!

But the BEST PART:
We sat on our deck last night and were bothered by one or two flies, as opposed to 50!!