Newby needs your help with flies

[Dick Calton]

I am in Arkansas and need help with Flies in my coop. I use pine wood chips on the floor of the coop, and I only have 4 hens and 2 roosters in a 8' x 8' coop that is 5' high. The attached run is 8' x 16'. The flies are so thick that I can hear them bussing from a distance. Should I put a Fan in the coop, or should I put DE on the floor of the coop. HELP !!!! Where can I find DE, is it sold in farm stores, or which stores sell it? And what about Python Dust, Where can I get this, in a farm strore, or where ???

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!

I don't have experience dealing with flies, so I can't help you there. Good luck, though!

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

I don't know if DE will help much. Fans will though. So will mint and fly paper. (Make sure to keep fly paper and fans out of the chickens reach.)

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

I use sand in my coop and run. I used to have horrible fly issues til I switched to sand. Flies don't like it as it is too dry and doesn't contain organic matter. Sand is stays dry even when wet, very easy to clean, no poop smells, absorbs the poop and the chickens love to scratch around in it. Here is a good thread on sand and how to use it, etc...https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/444759/got-sand-you-should

You can also post in our Predators and Pests section for more ideas on how to deal with flies...https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/13/predators-and-pests

Good luck with all those flies!

 

[Wyandottes7]

Welcome to BYC!

We're glad to have you.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Most farm stores sell fly strips, they work pretty well in small coops if you have a place to hang them the chickens can't get to, like the Revenge brand. Python Dust is a newer livestock dust with zeta-cypermethrin, not sure if it is actually labeled for use with chickens... most farm stores will carry poultry dust usually with permethrin or another livestock dust that is labeled for use on poultry.

 

[drumstick diva]

de will do nothing for such a big problem. I agree on the fly strips but also hang some of those yellow Xmas tree car deodorizers - VANILLA scent in the coop whre the chickens won't get them some people add real vanilla extract in a quart spray bottle of water and spray it around and on the flies also.