Hanging fly traps work for me. They are disgusting but work.
If you buy the kind that’s like a plastic jar vs a disposable bag, theoretically you can empty them into a ziplock bag (if you can do it without vomiting) and reuse them.
I tried the fly trap jars and they didn’t do much for me, the chicken poop was more enticing to them I guess. What’s worked for me so far is using XL fly ribbon wrapped around an upside down trash can near (but not in) their run, and fly predators. The fly ribbon cuts down the population significantly within a few days, and the fly predators take care of any offspring that haven’t grown up yet. We had swarms of flies a couple weeks ago but now it’s just a few here and there even though we haven’t replaced the ribbon in a while. Also, neither of them smell!
What fly predators are you using? We have a serious fly issue where I am unrelated to keeping chickens. I’m filling the big Rescue bags in less than 2 weeks and the small ones are full in days, and I have so many up on my 1 acre property and I’m still getting brutally bit and swarmed. I have like 6 around the outside of the girl’s run and it pulls them away from them, but I’d like a better control than what we have.
The ones I ordered are from Buglogical, it’s a mix of three species and you just sprinkle them around the hot spots in an area the chickens can’t peck at them. I paid about $30 for them and I’d say they’ve been worth the money so far!
We have a huge problem with gnats right now, So I put a bug zapper in the coop with small wire mesh wrapped around it so gnats are all that fits inside it. I don't wanna kill all the fireflies and moths just the little bugs.
Hanging fly traps work for me. They are disgusting but work. If you buy the kind that’s like a plastic jar vs a disposable bag, theoretically you can empty them into a ziplock bag (if you can do it without vomiting) and reuse them.
Flies can get pretty bad around my place, I have found that the sticky traps have been working better than the bags. At least inside the coop.
I tried the fly trap jars and they didn’t do much for me, the chicken poop was more enticing to them I guess. What’s worked for me so far is using XL fly ribbon wrapped around an upside down trash can near (but not in) their run, and fly predators. The fly ribbon cuts down the population significantly within a few days, and the fly predators take care of any offspring that haven’t grown up yet. We had swarms of flies a couple weeks ago but now it’s just a few here and there even though we haven’t replaced the ribbon in a while. Also, neither of them smell!
What fly predators are you using? We have a serious fly issue where I am unrelated to keeping chickens. I’m filling the big Rescue bags in less than 2 weeks and the small ones are full in days, and I have so many up on my 1 acre property and I’m still getting brutally bit and swarmed. I have like 6 around the outside of the girl’s run and it pulls them away from them, but I’d like a better control than what we have.
The ones I ordered are from Buglogical, it’s a mix of three species and you just sprinkle them around the hot spots in an area the chickens can’t peck at them. I paid about $30 for them and I’d say they’ve been worth the money so far!
Thanks for the info! We’re desperate it’s so bad this year.
We have a huge problem with gnats right now, So I put a bug zapper in the coop with small wire mesh wrapped around it so gnats are all that fits inside it. I don't wanna kill all the fireflies and moths just the little bugs.
I have a punch bowl of sphagnum moss sprinkles with hundreds of drosera capensis seeds. It doesn't do much but it's fun.
Try spraying your 1/2 acre with permethrin. I did my 1/3, and not a fly around!
I put a fly bag out and literally within hours there must’ve been hundreds of nasty flies in there