Mosquitoes

[taprock]

I came home late tonight after fireworks and went to secure the windows for the night only to find both the interior and exterior of the coop covered in mosquitoes. I know the black flies can kill the chickens and I assume the mosquitoes could do the same along with the other diseases they carry. I looked up old posts and didn't really find a concrete answer besides screen. To cover all openings with screen would take a while - I have vents along the entire roof line and eaves of a 12 foot coop and I'm not a climber! I also let them free range so the doors are almost always open. I read lots of suggestions but I'm looking for things that have actually worked besides the obvious of covering all openings with screen.

 

[wvfoxhunter]

If the chickens see them they should eat them.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Chickens are usually sleeping at night when mosquitoes are out in force. Mosquitoes can and often DO carry numerous diseases that are dangerous to chickens: fowl pox, various forms of encephalitis.

 

[DangerChickenHouse]

Wow! I'm still in the process of getting chickens. We have a drainage ditch/creek that runs along the side of my property. It's fenced off, but we were planning on putting the coop there because it is the part of the yard with the most shade. Maybe I should rethink it.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

How fast does the creek run? Running water is not an issue; stagnant water is--this is where mosquitoes lay their eggs. And consider, how many mosquitoes are there near the creek versus elsewhere? Chances are that the mosquitoes will fly to where there is "food" even if they hatch at a distance.