So many flies!!!

[moniquem]

I just put up one of those fly traps with the water and a noticeable difference within an hour.

I've been using these, they work great! I also clean out the coop a bit daily, also helps.

 

[Pensmaster]

Fly strips and fly traps. Hit them hard fast and early. I buy the strips by the case. They seem to be better this year than last.
Have never used chemicals. I’ve thought about the wasps.

 

[Bweis13]

We have a ton of flies here too...the mosquitoes are very bad also. We’ve had an unusually wet summer here, so I think that’s what’s contributing to it. Our duck is loving it. Me not so much!

 

[Pensmaster]

We have a ton of flies here too...the mosquitoes are very bad also. We’ve had an unusually wet summer here, so I think that’s what’s contributing to it. Our duck is loving it. Me not so much!

The bats here love the mosquitoes.

 

[Bweis13]

The bats here love the mosquitoes.

I love our bats! We have a lot too. They’re getting their bellies full here this summer. They are so fun to watch. (Maybe not as fun as chickens, but still fun!)

 

[Bweis13]

Question... will ducks eat fly larvae? Our silly drake is the pickiest guy I’ve ever seen, and our duck got eaten by a hawk last summer when they were free ranging. We really don’t have much experience with ducks! With all of this rain, we’re seeing fly larvae in the duck pen, so that’s probably where they’re coming from. If my drake won’t eat them, any ideas on how to get rid of them before they become flies? I don’t want to put them in our compost pile.

 

[Folly's place]

Chickens love them! I have no experience with ducks. Yucky!
Mary

 

[cassie]

Question... will ducks eat fly larvae? Our silly drake is the pickiest guy I’ve ever seen, and our duck got eaten by a hawk last summer when they were free ranging. We really don’t have much experience with ducks! With all of this rain, we’re seeing fly larvae in the duck pen, so that’s probably where they’re coming from. If my drake won’t eat them, any ideas on how to get rid of them before they become flies? I don’t want to put them in our compost pile.

I can tell you this. I have seen people range ducks under chicken cages for just that reason. The ducks would rummage in the manure after the fly larvae. I was at a farm years ago where they had a bunch of free ranging Muscovey ducks. I saw baby ducks catching flies right out of the air. I have never seen anything like those little bug catchers in my life. That said, if I were you I would invest in some fly traps and some fly predators. Properly managed fly predators will do an excellent job of controlling flies but it is best to start using them early in the season. We used to buy our fly predators on line.

 

[Pensmaster]

I love our bats! We have a lot too. They’re getting their bellies full here this summer. They are so fun to watch. (Maybe not as fun as chickens, but still fun!)

We used to have around a hundred in the breezeway of the barn. The nose or mouth fungus really took its toll on them, or something has changed here maybe they switched locations. They’d screech at you if you walked by. Seeing them leave out at night was really cool.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Reason I suggested the homemade traps... when I looked at the ones you add water to, they were like $8 a pop.

I don't like having to dispose of the sticky strips. But I do always see flies on them where people do use them.