what are some things i can do for flys?

[rays123]

i keep my coops pretty clean. i keep all the poop out i can and try to clean it out everyday what are some thing i can do to the inside of my coop and the run also to stop/cut down on the flys and skeeters???

 

[patandchickens]

There is nothing you can do about mosquitos (other than what you'd do vs them in general, like in your yard -- dump standing water, etc) although if you shut your chickens int he coop at night, windowscreen on the windows will reduce how many mosquitoes get in to bother the chickens at night.

Flies are mostly coming from breeding in damp poo, so the drier and cleaner and non-mucky you can keep your coop and run, the fewer flies you'll have. A mud problem tends to also become a fly problem; damp hay or straw or etc in the run does the same. For damp run fixes, see the link in my .sig below.

To some extent you just ARE going to have more flies when you have chickens, though.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[ducks4you]

I am on my 2nd batch of "fly predators"
http://www.spalding-labs.com/?banne...her_keywords&gclid=CI6d9aXf2poCFRINDQod5jcm2Q
We have been living with the horses in the back yard since 2000, and my family has noticed a SIGNIFIGANT lack of flies THIS YEAR!

Especially since it's been so gosh darn wet! The ONLY other time we have ever had few flies was the summer of 2005 when we experienced a severe drought. Somebody posted that the chickens eat them. Sooo, I called Spalding Labs. THEY said that the chickens will eat the fly eggs--you see, the predator bugs lay their eggs IN the fly egg. They suggested hanging the bag they are mailed in open. Chickens won't eat the predators. They look like gnats but they won't bother you or the livestock.

 

[ducks4you]

Did a quick search RE: Mosquitoes
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15831
http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/West-Nile.html
THought about suggesting goldfish, but I realized that you don't have a 100 gal. tank, like me. Still, you could keep a small tank of a few fish, anyway, and put them in a 10 gal tank inside for the winter--
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/ongoldfishpond
Just FYI--
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/WNV.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1515669/mosquito_repellant_plants_for_your.html

hope this helps

 

[AkTomboy]

I second Ducks4You on the fly predators. I love them they keep my place pretty fly free even for the large amount of critters I have. I also use a Mosquito Magnet for the skeeter problem we had start so early this year. This is my 7th year with that and wouldnt be without it again. I have heard some people plant a type of flower that is supposed to help keep them at bay but I have a black thumb so I cant help ya there. Good luck

 

[countrychicklover]

I heard somewhere hanging sweet basil in a sachel in the corners of the doors and windows helps with flys. I am going to give it a try once my sweet basil gets bigger

 

[patandchickens]

A tub of goldfish does no good -- the only point of goldfish in a stock tank is to eat mosquito larvae *from that stock tank*, the idea being that you have to have the big tub of water there for your animals to drink out of and you don't want it becoming a mosquito farm while it's sitting there. If you don't HAVE a big stock tank to worry about in the first place, adding one (with or without goldfish) is not a good idea, mosquito-wise

Fly predators are worth trying if you can afford them and don't have a whole lot of other livestock as neighbors.

Pat

 

[Blondie]

I know I keep repeating myself on these threads, but really, the shiny pennies with water in a baggie REALLY HELPS!!! Like 95%!!!!
I'm tellin' ya!! Try it. It hardly costs anything. I have about 4 or 5 around the barn and coop.

 

[lichick28]

Homedepot, lowes, TSC sell fly bags with an attractant in it. You add water and hang in area. it cost $5.00 and is good for a few weeks depending on fly problem. You know when it needs to be replaced, it will really smell bad so double bag it & throw it out on trash day

 

[annek]

sweet pdz if you can find it keeps things dried up and won't hurt the chickens if they eat it-it is used to keep stalls dry for horses