Mosquitos!

[TheChips]

Mosquitos are out in full force here this season and they are all over my chicken coop and run area.

Is there anything I can do to help cut down the pests? Is there any non toxic stuff I can put around the run area and in their coop? I have areas where they cant fly to that I can possibly put some stuff.

Any suggestions would be so deeply appreciated!

Also I heard they have things similar to frontline for chickens if someone has some legitimate information about that as well?

i feel so bad for them stomping around in their coop and as theyre walking around. I dont want these pests bothering them or possibly bring disease

 

[jetdog]

I put window screen over all my windows and vents during the building process just for this reason, keep the little buggers out.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Encourage swallows or purple martins to nest in your yard. Our swallows eat tons of mosquitoes. We still have lots of skeeters though.

 

[Blammmo]

Healthy birds can handle mosquitoes, most of the time I see mine snapping them right out of the air while they get ready to roost, we are drowning in mosquitoes right now in northern MN and though I feel bad for the birds they don't seem to mind. The bugs seem the worst in early morning and late evening and tend to settle down during the day and night.
I also have a ton of tree and barn swallows that are starting to feed them to their babies!!

 

[TheChips]

Thank you guys its much appreciated. My chickens are very healthy and I do see them eat some when they are too close. We are also drowning in mosquitos and its so bad. Its a shame Im allergic. I have about over 20 bites on me all swollen.

My outdoor run connects with the shed that has their coop inside. The shed itself has smal spaces on the roof where mosquitos can go into. I wish I would have build a better place for them. They are 98% safe from preditors unless a bull rams into their area but bugs can still go in there.

 

[ChickenPapaCT]

There are CO2 generating mosquito traps on the market (Google "Mosquito Magnet" and you will find a bunch). They run on propane and lures which mimic the body chemistry that the little buggers go after. I like the concept alot, but at $400-$600 they are a bit out of my price range.

I tried making three homemade mosquito traps last year - you can find how to make them at http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/homemade-mosquito-trap/

Last year's homemade traps had 2 problems:

#1 - My dogs found them extremely interesting and wanted to play with them, so I had to place them far in the back (where the dogs can't go because of electric fence).

#2 - It rained heavily and they filled with water almost immediately (the day after I set them).

I think this year I will hook them under the eaves of my coop. This will solve both problems because:

#1 - the dog's won't be able to get into them / knock them over, and

#2 - they will be under the eaves, so no rain will get in.

If you don't have dogs, you can probably just use the top of a 2nd bottle on a stick as a way to deflect the rain.

PLEASE NOTE: It would probably be a bad thing for the chickens to eat the yeast, so make sure they are placed OUTSIDE THE COOP and OUTSIDE THE RUN where the chickens can't get at them.



Good luck!
ChickenPapaCT

 

[TheChips]

Thank you chicken papa!