Need to get rid of FLYS!!! they are constantly on the chickens and ducks food. Any ideas?

[Corinalagallina]

You can also try fly predators. People use them in the stables is a natural way to get rid of flies, what is also nice is that the predators actually eat the maggots.

 

[figsonwheels]

Our new coop has an open bottom (with just fencing and some slat boards), so most of the poop drops to the ground. The chickens cannot get to that part of the coop. We put red bugs there to eat the larvae. We got a box from the fishing section of the store and dumped them on the ground. They work magic! Plus, we have our own supply of fat, juicy worms when we fish. We thought we would have to clean out under the coop every month or so to handle the smell, but after 4 months it's still good!

I was worried the worms would crawl away, but they are multiplying like crazy. I put a few in the deep litter in their run, especially around their waterer. We only see one or two occasionally - they must dig down lower to stay away from the chickens scratching.

Our coop is 4x16 and the run is 24x32 and the chickens do get to free range almost every evening.

We also have rabbits and have red worms in their droppings. No flies.

Mosquitoes - now that's a different story.

 

[Onna]

I found a thread on BYC about using Vanilla Potpourri Liquid, and the car vanilla scented trees, to keep down the fly's. I had fly's all over the place on my feed on the walls, and to top it off I also have horses to keep the fly's happy. Well I was at the end of my rope and ready to try anything. So I bought a 1 gallon sprayer and a bottle of Vanilla Potpourri Liquid " must be the none oil kind". and 5 packs of the tree scented vanilla that's used in car's. I mixed the VPL in the sprayer and filed to the top with water. I sprayed every thing from top to bottom, and hung the yellow trees all around. IT WORKED, IT REALLY WORKED. I had fly's 100% now I'm seeing 15 to 20 % of them. I not only have less fly's, but the best smelling chicken coop in town. It worked for me.
Here is a way to make a fly trap for free. just a little time. The Vanilla really dose work...
me...

 

[Chickie-chan]

That's a good idea!

 

[JohnHenry]

Victor disposable fly traps work really well, I highly recommend them. I tried the RESCUE disposable bags from Lowe's and they didn't work at all for me.

 

[GertrudeLover01]

Hey guys, I have had a problem with carpenter bees. But, they went away Guess how hot it got here? 113!!!! That's almost at the record here in TN! today it was only 86, thank goodness. It also rained

 

[questions543]

I make my own fly traps out of old pop bottles. I lop off the tops of them at the top edge where the label ends. I flip the top upside down into the bottle. I fill the inside with a mixture of sugar, apple cider vinegar, and a little floral scented dish soap. The flies go into the trap... and cant get back out. When it gets full I just throw it away. It WORKS REALLY WELL!!

It also works on bees and wasps too. And because its non toxic I don't have to worry about the birds being poisoned.

I tried this and it didnt work at all

 

[ldutch123]

So many awesome ideas! Thanks so much. Tonight I cleaned out both the coops and the ducks house and sprinkled DE all over the floor and almost instantly the flys were gone(well not all of them but most)

Tomorrow I will make up some traps and hang them outside the coops.

And gertrudelover...I sure wish we could get some rain here everything is dead and I'm waiting on our well to go dry. 3 weeks no rain

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Those fly bags work GREAT. the only downside is that they smell RANCID like dead fish...

 

[ll]

I agree shadow rabbit -- I tried one of those plastic jugs filled with fly attractant last year and even though it was brand new it smelled HORRIBLE! No flies in it, just opened = gag gag gag. I re-hung it away from the run because it smelled so bad. After 2 weeks there were only 3 flies in it so I threw it away.

The vanilla trees *nods* I have the best smelling coop on the block. I also use the same brand spray, bought in the same section.

DE sprinkled everywhere helps too. Stall Dry / Dri Stall contains DE and odor absorbers too ~ I use any/all of these in a catch basin under their roosting area.