FLIES, FLIES & FREAKING FLIES!

Wendy Bee

Songster
May 5, 2021
58
169
116
Central New York
Fly traps rock - we've used them before chickens. We don't have one up yet this summer, but need to get one. Don't have a problem with flies in the coop/run, but just in and out of the house a few. Hanging a trap usually keeps them at bay.

BIG NOTE: Hang the trap(s) far AWAY from your house. Fly traps REEK, and if you hang them away from your house, the flies fly away from your house :thumbsup.
 

Chicken poppy

BYC addict
May 9, 2021
4,543
22,324
726
Connecticut
Copy and pasting what i said in another thread:

I use fly traps honestly. Obviously, something that can’t harm my chickens.

I like homemade fly traps with bottles because its simple and easy. The chickens can’t get to them and they won’t harm the chickens whatsoever. Also why i frequently clean my chickens coop and pick food up when my chickens are sleeping.





For the fly traps i use, i usually follow this:

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Also, if anyone tries this: Do not put it in somewhere like the coop, and regularly swap it out.



If you put it in the coop, #1. The smell is unbearable. Rotten fruit mixed with dead flies? No thank you. Put it high, secured well, out of reach of children/animals, and where you can’t smell it walking by. Trust me, been there done that.



#2. These tend to attract more flies, and if your goal is to rid them from the coop, your not gonna have much luck by putting them IN where you want them OUT. Put them somewhat near it, just enough to get the ones traveling by and not bring more into your coop.
 

Kelster65

Hatching
Jul 4, 2022
4
2
9
Rockfield, KY
I'm in Kentucky and have the same issue. There are NO flies in the coop, only in the run where the chickens and ducks spend most of their time. They only eat and drink outside - I think the flies are attracted to the feed/water stations. I use bucket feeders/waterers that sit in washing machine pans with drains in them but there were a few days that the drain got plugged up and it left a great oasis for the flies. Add in the near 100 degree heat we've had for the last several weeks without rain and I'm sure the flies are finding every bit of moisture they can to lay their eggs. I use the Rescue fly bait system and have 4 in a 20x30 run - there are so MANY flies in the traps and still more around. I have a run full of herbs, use first Saturday lime, a sprinkling of DE, clean up poop every day and yet, THE FLIES. :eek:
 

Chicken poppy

BYC addict
May 9, 2021
4,543
22,324
726
Connecticut
We have a serious mosquito fly squrriel chipmunk problem here. Look, before i came here, squrriels and chipmunks were cute, slightly a pest, but fine. Now? Ready to shoot them with a high powered water hose and fling them on a wall. (Alright, i wouldn’t, but i don’t like them.) i could go on forever about them, but my point is, i have to have a lot of serious measures to prevent those pests, like for mosquitoes and flies, i am constantly refilling, changing, cleaning water. More then once a day or you better believe mosquitoes and flies are ALL over it.
Also, constantly washing and cleaning EVERYTHING. I even go around my yard that my chickens are roaming (free-ranged chickens) and pick up all the poop! (or what i see anyway)

Obviously, i wouldn’t say thats realistic. But its what i do, and i feel better about picking up the poop atleast around our fenced area.
I do that because of flies and other bugs, also a bit because of other reasons.
Basically, in short, you don‘t have to do all that. But it’ll help to pick up poop you see, change water frequently, etc.
 

raingarden

Songster
Premium Feather Member
Apr 12, 2021
1,178
2,527
241
Windward Oahu
The trick is to keep everything dry (less then 30% moisture) so fly larvae cannot develop. That means the bedding/substrate has to quickly pull the moisture out of the poop. Dry sand or packaged wood shavings will do that until there is a spill.

Deep liter and compost can be nearly free of flies even though it has some moisture. It's an ecosystem down there in the liter/compost and it may contain creatures that kill and eat fly larvae.

Dripping waterers are sure to hatch flies.

If you have ducks and waterers then just hang it up and expect tons of flies. A duck pond or tub may not hatch many flies though because there is so much water splashed everywhere that the duck mess drowns the fly larvae.

If company is coming and you're desperate then break out the pyrithrin sprayer and coat everything. It will provide short term relief.
 
Last edited:
May 5, 2021
933
1,926
241
Connecticut
There are fly traps with bait- add liquid in bottom, flies go in and die. Many people have success with this.

Fly zappers may work well.

Some people with horses or many animals will buy “fly predators” which are tiny insects that hatch and basically feast on the grubs. But, most effective when you start early in the season - just Google fly predators bc several companies offer them.

You can use sticky fly paper, but not so attractive in your patio-best in other places.

The dog and chicken poop may be attracting them. If possible try to keep the dog and chicken poop farther from the patio or clean it up before fly eggs can hatch.
My free ranging chickens have me following them with a hose to spray their fresh poops. If i leave it, it attracts flies big time. First New chickens, no flies. Chickens now and flies now. My run was too moist a couple weeks ago from misting heavily and the flies were wicked. I went around the yard and added a boatload of dry leaves/sticks/woodsy type material...(brown material) to run and the flies are gone. Also, i will dry out grass clippings and add that brown material as well. I was adding it fresh from the mower bag into run and i had too much 'green/fresh/moist'. After adding brown, the flies have dwindled. Good luck!!
 

Kelster65

Hatching
Jul 4, 2022
4
2
9
Rockfield, KY
I've been using the Rescue fly traps and while they are amazing, I was using them incorrectly. My fly issue has since been sooooo much better. I haven't had flies INSIDE my coop because I haven't hung a fly trap in the coop and it's kept clean every day. My run is 20'x30', also cleaned daily. I started out with 2 traps because the lack of rain seemed to attract more flies to the food. The flies got worse and I thought it was because we hadn't had rain in 2 months in almost 100 degree temperatures so I added 2 more. DUH... ok, I've learned my lesson. The traps lure in flies from EVERYWHERE so you don't want to hang these inside your coop, run or anywhere by your house. I knew it lured flies, but thought only where they were placed. So Anyway.... I moved the traps outside of the run to a tree about 30 feet away so that the flies go there instead of inside my run and the smell of rot isn't where we can enjoy it (ha). I still have some flies in the run which are attracted to the food, but not sure how I can stop that unless I stop feeding altogether (um no) or scheduled feedings which is difficult for me to do. The ducks and chickens eat out of clean feeding buckets with PVC hoods, and the flies are attracted to dropped crumbles. I do keep a tray under the feeders to catch dropped feed which I clean out daily. I've also bought some vanillaroma little tree air fresheners which I've heard help as well as Irish Spring soap - they both smell nice and it's worth a try. I'll update on that soon.
 
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Kelster65

Hatching
Jul 4, 2022
4
2
9
Rockfield, KY
We have a serious mosquito fly squrriel chipmunk problem here. Look, before i came here, squrriels and chipmunks were cute, slightly a pest, but fine. Now? Ready to shoot them with a high powered water hose and fling them on a wall. (Alright, i wouldn’t, but i don’t like them.) i could go on forever about them, but my point is, i have to have a lot of serious measures to prevent those pests, like for mosquitoes and flies, i am constantly refilling, changing, cleaning water. More then once a day or you better believe mosquitoes and flies are ALL over it.
Also, constantly washing and cleaning EVERYTHING. I even go around my yard that my chickens are roaming (free-ranged chickens) and pick up all the poop! (or what i see anyway)

Obviously, i wouldn’t say thats realistic. But its what i do, and i feel better about picking up the poop atleast around our fenced area.
I do that because of flies and other bugs, also a bit because of other reasons.
Basically, in short, you don‘t have to do all that. But it’ll help to pick up poop you see, change water frequently, etc.
I'm in Kentucky near Bowling Green - Western Kentucky University created white squirrels so the little guys are kind of a cherished thing, but yes, they can be destructive and annoying. I'm lucky in that I have walnut trees everywhere on my property which serve as sort of a peace offering to the little guys, but I still hear them chattering from the trees and plotting when I walk out the door. I talk to everything in my yard and politely remind them that if they chew wires or things they're not allowed to, they will be harshly dealt with. In 8 years they've only chewed some Christmas light wires but got shocked to death. Karma - I warned them. 🙄 Some things that people use to keep them out of stuff is cinnamon sticks. They evidently don't like it and many people have cinnamon sticks or moth balls inside of cut off panty hose in their engines and house eaves. I use 5 gallon buckets with PVC feeding hoods that I close each night so nothing can get to the feed. I have BEC semi auto waterers that use a 5 gallon bucket too. No standing water other than the duck pool and one free water area with a grate (no messy playing allowed). Poop is cleaned up daily. The squirrels aren't so bold to come down into the run during the day to eat (I also have dogs on patrol), but they and wild birds sort of help me keep the scattered crumbs picked up between 5 and 8 am before the ducks and chickens are released for the day. I have cameras in the coop and run so I know when/what is out there. I have a net to go over the run that I haven't put up yet. I visualize that the little guys will get stuck and end our truce. It's plastic which I know they'll chew through anyway, or get stuck, won't know how to get out, they'll attack a bird or me and ending in lots of cussing and death of a squirrel so I'm wondering if no net is better at the moment. :bow
 

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