post your secrets for eliminating flies

[bobeena]

It's finally fall, so this issue is not as pressing as it was two months ago, but I am trying to prepare for next spring. I cannot live with the flies our chickens -- and I'm convinced it was them, as there aren't other outdoor pets in the block -- brought to our street.

Here's what I used, to small effect, this last summer: Food-grade DE in the (regularly raked-out) run and in the dust-bath areas. Five hens, and they range the fenced backyard in the day.

Stinky-bait disposable fly traps: Caught tons of flies. Still tons more in the yard.

Fly predators: Three shipments for $50. No noticeable effect, though I know it takes awhile.

Permethrin spray: Worked like a charm, for a week until it rained.

Neither we nor our neighbors could picnic outside all summer because of the flies and they got into the kitchen - 20, 30 at a time - whenever the door opened. Next year I'm either getting rid of the hens or spraying the yard weekly or, if someone has a fool-proof formula to post, trying that.

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

I use the large stick papers and a few fly traps. I put a lot up in the spring when the flys are starting to come out and get them before the population explodes.

 

[spook]

make or pick up a fly trap. If you use a milk jug for example, poke holes 1/2 way down, the size of a pea, place 2 inches of water and a hunk of fish (tuna will work), put cover on milk jug set at the barn door. Flies think its a easy meal, but with the holes low, they cannot find their way out and drown.
Of course every dog and racoon will dump this- ha ha. You could hang it too.
Other then that, fly tapes, fly granules (poison) or sprays (again, poisons that aren't healthy for fly nor us).

 

[Sissy]

I use 1 teaspoon of ACV ( apple cider vinegar)to a gal
of the chickx drinking water since their hatch.
so all standing water dosent interest misquitos or flies.
also have a bug zapper light . and cattle about 60 ft.away no problems so far..

 

[Sissy]

oops.. also use permactrin
all around the coup in and out with a coop cleaning
2 x ayear.

 

[Jolyn]

How often did you clean your coop and run out?

 

[rowan1]

hi you should try a search on here. someone posted a home made fly trap using a liter soda bottle, vinegar, sugar and water. i tried it and it worked like a charm

 

[spook]

Quote:
Be careful its not a galvinized or metal (I can't give a direct quote) but vinegar will take the coating off the metal waterers and then they rust. I'm certain others have the exact facts, but I never realized this until I read it on BYC.

 

[bobeena]

Some great ideas here!
We use a covered 10 x 10 dog pen as the run and the chickens are only penned at night. I rake it out daily. No standing water except their water dish, which we hose out daily. The backyard they range in is rather wooded. Droppings scattered around under English ivy,etc. In the small sunny area the flies gather around. As soon as you walk outside with a sandwich or whatever you are swarmed. Before chickens, no real fly problem. I was hoping it was not us, but have concluded it is. Going to get right on top of it early in spring, though. Living in the South probably doesn't help.

 

[heyeddah]

This may sound crazy, but I own a restaurant and we have summer fly problems. Our exterminating company gave us a black light box with sticky glue pads. At night when the kitchen ( hen house) is dark the flies are attracted to the light and they stick right to the glue paper. It really is kind of ingenious. I think in the spring though I am going to try the milk gallon feeder bait trap mentioned here out by the dumpster and trap those buggers before they come inside.
The good thing about up North here is that the flying bugs all die off after a freeze. The bad thing is the freeze!!!