4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Chickaboo]

My girls are obviously very clean however I suspose it is inevitable to get fies in the summer around the eglu and run, and they are about 15ft from our kitchen door, I sprinkle a lot of citronella oil around the place which seems to help. But does anybody else have any tips to keep flies at bay. I don't want to use any chemicals - but maybe a plant I could have that keeps them away?

[TheCoop]

You could try the FliTrap (http://www.flitrap.com). Many of us around here have one and I think the general consensus is that it works well.

 

(Should this topic be in the 'Eggs' forum??? )

[Mutrix Farmers]

I noticed a load of flies around a "curry" poo so I tried an experiment - Diatom. It seemed to work, there were no more flies where there were before.

 

I'm trying to find a way of dealing with flies when we convert to a permanent bark chip run, a sprinkle of diatom might just do the trick!

[Chickaboo]

Sorry no of course it shouldn't be in the 'egg' section But thanks anyway I will try both.

[Stevie]

Eucalyptus trees are excellent at discouraging bugs and are very cheap in garden centres.Think of Vics vapour rub and you'll get the idea of how obnocious the smell is to bugs,but we humans cannot detect it unless the foliage is crushed.

 

Be aware though these trees are rampant growers so either keep it in a large spacious pot or prune it regulary & hard (they dont mind being clipped back hard).I recently cut one down in my garden which was a mere baby at 8 years old-it was 10ft taller than my house and the chainsaw was struggling to get through the trunk!

 

I need to plant another though cos my garden has been invaded by bugs.

[chelsea]

 

Be aware though these trees are rampant growers so either keep it in a large spacious pot or prune it regulary & hard (they dont mind being clipped back hard).I recently cut one down in my garden which was a mere baby at 8 years old-it was 10ft taller than my house and the chainsaw was struggling to get through the trunk!

 

(

 

agree with that, coincidently OH lopped off the top of our 2 eucalyptus trees the weekend, they were so high they were tapping on next doors window!

[Reikiranf]

I love Eucalyptus trees but I'm banned from having them I planted my first one too close to the fence & my neighbour complained and we had to spend a fortune having it cut down which was very sad as it was beautiful, it gave us lovely dappled shade and danced in the breeze, the neighbour also complained it attracted flies to her garden and used to walk around her garden spraying fly spray personally I think perhaps she should have stayed in her London flat, then I planted another one at the end of the garden that grew huge and was also lovely until we had very windy weather it swayed backwards and forwards and knocked down our back wall Yup, I planted that too close too

 

Perhaps I could try growing one in a large pot

[choppish]

my chickens love eating the eucalyptus leaves!

[Chicken Lady]

you can grow eucalyptus in your garden - you just need to coppice it every year.

 

Once you've planted a tree, let it grow for a year or so just to get it established, then lop it off to about 6" above ground. Looks drastic, but it will re-sprout, and it forms a lovely bush - about 6ft tall and about 4ft across, with sprays of the young foliage which is much nicer than the mature foliage anyway imho.

 

(I'm a professional gardener and have done this to a couple of my clients' wayward eucalyptus trees - they were horrified when I'd first done it but a year later almost always delighted )

[mayflower]

Sorry to show my ignorance but, does a eucalyptus tree need to be grown in full sunlight, or will it tolerate shade? I have a small space just outside the bottom of the run. I've been wondering what to grow there. However, it is shady because of the apple tree and honeysuckle archway over the gate.

[AJuff]

I bought a Gotcha fly trap from ebay which uses recycled milk bottles. You screw the bottle to the top and fill it with water and fly attractant.

 

The advantage of this product over a FliTrap is that you don't have to empty it, you can just unscrew it and put the milk bottle lid back on it then bin it. Flies, smell and all just gone. I did read some horrible descriptions about emptying the FliTrap which is why I bought this product. It's also chemical free!!!

 

 

ebay Item number: 160251773346 £4.99

[Chicken Lady]

they prefer full sun I'm afraid - they come from the Australian outback

 

read more about them here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/299.shtml

 

PS did you want to grow a fly repellent plant specifically? can give you some suggestions if you like

[Chickaboo]

Its off to the garden centre for some eculyptus plants then

[Stevie]

Another one which allegidly helps deter flies is the Indian bean tree.I havent any experience with this type though and by all acounts its a slow grower which maybe better or worse for your situation.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/12242.shtml

 

I did try googling 'trees which deter flies' and one option was Elderbery-which i know for sure dont work-i have six of them and still have bugs!

[Egluntyne]

I read the other day in someone's blog (off forum) that the plant Nigella deters flies.

 

Rather pretty too.

[xScrunchee]

PS did you want to grow a fly repellent plant specifically? can give you some suggestions if you like

 

 

Ooo yes please

 

I have recently planted a Eucalyptus Gunni and was planning on copiccing it every year so I'm pleased that you suggested that.

[Chicken Lady]

Ooo yes please

 

 

OK you're going to have to give me a bit more info first though

 

how big is the space? is it a clear space (though shady) or are you growing lots of other things in there too? and what did you want - tree? shrub? little plants? anything else it needs to do too (eg deter flies )?

[SharonX]

Must say I have been very impressed with the amount of flies caught in my flietrap, but to be honest there is no way I am going to empty it so would work out rather expensive when you have to replace them that frequently. Am going to give the milk carton suggestion a try that somebody left on her (sorry forgot who) so thanks! probably the same kind of product.

[AJuff]

IT was me!!!! I love my milk bottle carton fly trap it's fab, I love watching the nasty flies drown in it!!!

[Duckmomma]

I have lots of refill sachets for my fly traps and can't afford to waste them, so will be biting the bullet and reusing mine.

I reckon if I can clean up duck pooh I can empty a fli trap

[Egluntyne]

I reckon if I can clean up duck pooh I can empty a fli trap

Believe me.....speaking as one who knows......duck poo doesn't even come close to the stench of a full Flitrap.

[Phosphorus]

I reckon if I can clean up duck pooh I can empty a fli trap

Believe me.....speaking as one who knows......duck poo doesn't even come close to the stench of a full Flitrap.

 

I'm watching mine avidly fill up (about 50% full now). So that I can get up the nerve and prepare myself any hints about how to go about emptying it - mine is only a third full of water to start with: do you assume all flies are dead or add more water when emptying to drown any stragglers? What do you do with the contents

 

Not looking forward to this bit at all - but I love watching it fill

[Egluntyne]

I emptied it onto the compost heap, and had a jug of water ready to rinse it a couple of times.

 

Wear gloves, and although it sounds ridiculous, a face mask impregnated with something like Olbas Oil to prevent you sniffing the smell, which is absolutely vile and quite unlike anything I have ever smelled before or since.

[Stevie]

I'm watching mine avidly fill up (about 50% full now). So that I can get up the nerve and prepare myself any hints about how to go about emptying it - mine is only a third full of water to start with: do you assume all flies are dead or add more water when emptying to drown any stragglers? What do you do with the contents

 

Not looking forward to this bit at all - but I love watching it fill

 

Dig a hole in garden,empty and backfill.I used to use a wasp trap years ago (similiar to fly one) and it used to look like stinky black soup.

[StephanieSB]

Dig a hole in garden,empty and backfill.

 

Ah, just started a thread to describe my experiences with this method -- basically, the fox has been at the hole looking for whatever died there, and this despite covering the backfill with ash and bark chip -- and despite my Foxwatch. That must be some powerful smell to a fox... gross as it may be, the next one is going to be flushed down the toilet; but will wear a face mask as someone above suggested!