The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[brandislee]

My 3yo also helps collect eggs. She breaks at least one each time. The dogs enjoy the treat. But my ten yo gets mad since she sells those eggs.

Lol! My son is 4 and just now stopped regularly breaking eggs. And he'll leave like entire nests of eggs if he does it on his own, so I have to go check anyway (plus I have to take the extras out from under the broody). But that's all okay- kids doing chores from an early age is super important, IMO, and both of my kids have lists. My son's job is to collect the eggs, and my older daughter's job is to shut them in at night (she's graduated from egg collecting, lol... technically it's an easier job, but she also has more chores and responsibilities overall, and while it's easier it's also more important because she has to check and make sure everyone is in, which I don't trust a 4 year old to do obviously). They both have other chores, obviously, but those are their chicken related ones. I've toyed with the idea of having my 6 year old sit at the end of the driveway to sell eggs, but 1) she's super duper shy, and 2) having a child that young do something like that that near a highway isn't probably the best idea. Once I have more garden products (hopefully an excess, we'll see...) her and I might set up down there from like 4-6 (after work for most people) every day to sell eggs and extra produce.

Anyone have a natural way to get rid of the gnats in my houseplants?

I would love to know this too- they got bad in my seedlings, but I just ignored them as best as I could. I do know that a trap made of some ACV and dish soap in a small glass or jar is pretty effective, but that wouldn't stop them from invading the house plants, just kill part of them. Maybe an insecticidal soap or something sprayed on them a few times a day until you kill them all?

 

[aoxa]

Anyone have a natural way to get rid of the gnats in my houseplants?

What in the world are gnats?

I only say that because no one I have ever met in person has used the term 'gnats' I have only heard it on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Don't judge me.

Quote: Do you mean fruit flies?

 

[SA Farm]

Fruit flies don't bite. Gnats do. Beyond that...

I read something about spraying plants with dish soap/water to keep bugs off, but I don't know if it would work...?

 

[Ashdoes]

We've always called them gnats, ew to all of it! Ick.
So, spray bottle of water and soap?

 

[aoxa]

We've always called them gnats, ew to all of it! Ick.
So, spray bottle of water and soap?

There aren’t many things that are more annoying than gnats buzzing in your kitchen. Even as a neat freak, I’ve endured my share of summers where gnats just wouldn’t leave me alone. They especially pester me while I wash dishes. As much as I try to swat them, they zip away and never seem to die.

​

It turns out that gnats are attracted to some common things: warm, moist places; carbon dioxide, and light.

Once you have gnats, it’s tough to get rid of them. Here are a few tips for gnat-free living:
Gnat prevention

• Clean your house! Clean your kitchen when you’re done cooking – wash your countertops and make sure your sink is cleaned out. Once your dirty dishes are washed and put away, clean your garbage disposal. (Ice and/or citrus rinds work pretty well.)

• Dispose of garbage. When your garbage bag is full, take it outside. Throw out any rotten fruits or vegetables.

• Speaking of fruits and vegetables, don’t leave them out in the open. They’ll attract gnats.

• Don’t leave water standing anywhere in your house – in sinks or in drinking glasses.

• Turn off outside lights when you are done using them.

Gnat traps
If you’d like to trap your gnats, here are three methods to try:

• Pour apple cider vinegar in a deep bowl and add four to six drops of dish soap or vegetable oil. The gnats will be attracted to the odor of the vinegar, but the soap or oil will provide enough resistance to keep the gnats in the bowl. Empty and replenish the solution every couple days.

• Set out a small chunk of banana in a small container. Cover the container with plastic wrap. Secure the plastic wrap with a rubber band, then poke holes in the plastic with a toothpick. Leave the trap out overnight (the flies will be able to get in, but not out). Be sure to clean out the trap daily.

• Set out a glass of red wine. (Taste a vintage you just don’t like? Use some of that!) Gnats should swarm to it and drown inside the glass. That’s what I call drowning your troubles away …

 

[aoxa]

Here is an answer specific to your houseplant issue:



Quote:

We do have these little flies. They bite.. doesn't hurt, but after it feels like a mosquito bite. Itchy.. They are all over the outside right now. Bad time of year for them. Can hardly stand the outside when they are around. I have tried natural bug spray (DOES NOT WORK!) I'm just suffering through it pretty much. The bug spray does help a tiny bit, but not like DEET would.. Which we don't use anymore.

This is nothing compared to moose/horse fly season. God those things HURT! I had a panic attack going down a river in a tube because they swarmed me. They bit me all over and left welts.

I am not scared of spiders in the least, but put me around horse flies and I crumble. I am also quite terrified of hornets/wasps. I'm a big sissy..

 

[Ashdoes]

There aren’t many things that are more annoying than gnats buzzing in your kitchen. Even as a neat freak, I’ve endured my share of summers where gnats just wouldn’t leave me alone. They especially pester me while I wash dishes. As much as I try to swat them, they zip away and never seem to die.

From what I've read they're breeding in my houseplants dirt, and I have a lot of house plants. So I'm going to spritz them all with soapy water. It also said to spray all the windows, since they're attracted to the light as well. Which is why they buzz around while I'm doing dishes. Ever feel like "clean" isn't clean enough?

 

[Ashdoes]

I've been letting my houseplants dry a bit between waterings, so I'm not sure why that's not working.
I'm also terrified of wasps and hornets, I've never been stung but have a horrible fear of being stung. My poor 9 year old is allergic to Mosquitos, so when she gets bit it swells and blisters. We hate most flying insects....except butterflies. Lol.
All this talk is making me itchy!

 

[aoxa]

I've been letting my houseplants dry a bit between waterings, so I'm not sure why that's not working.
I'm also terrified of wasps and hornets, I've never been stung but have a horrible fear of being stung. My poor 9 year old is allergic to Mosquitos, so when she gets bit it swells and blisters. We hate most flying insects....except butterflies. Lol.
All this talk is making me itchy!

I'm with you there.. I tend to be fine around bumble bees. They are slow and clumsy. I can't help but run when bees/wasps/hornets come around. Less so with honey bees than the latter.

I had not been stung until last summer. I didn't even see it coming. Surprisingly, since being stung - I am much less fearful of them. I do know how useful they are to the planet.. I get it.. But phobias aren't rational right?

Who's ready for June Bug season?!

 

[RedRidge]

So cute.... I loved having my babies in the brooder box in the house... now I can hardly wait to do it again.

In the house? Really? My husband would have a fit.
He thinks it's bad enough I have the incubator in the house... but when they come out of the bator they go directly to the barn - doesn't matter what time of year.