sandyhas3chucks Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 is there a safe 4 chooks killer, got all our normal stuff. nothing seems to make an impact! suggestions pleassse. Got fly papers. got fli traps got diatom & stylofanF all over the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raina Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Zaflora (sp?) It's brilliant, I use it on the Eglu,in the Bins,The Caravan and we use it all round the house I used it on the Eglu, 3 Days ago and have only seen 2 or 3 flies on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted June 24, 2009 Author Share Posted June 24, 2009 thanks but they are all over the garden. over the veggies over the plants over the garden furniture!!!!!! naturall over any poo not picked up, the the grass where it was!!!! I thought all clody type disinfectants were no goes with the girls. expect someone will pop in with an answer to that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raina Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 You could always try some of those candles that repel bugs or maybe even get a Massive Venus Fly Trap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Have you tried a bottle fly trap? You can convert an old plastic milk bottle using the bits given, it is then filled with a fly pheremone which attracts the flies which then get stuck in the trap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Have you tried a bottle fly trap? You can convert an old plastic milk bottle using the bits given, it is then filled with a fly pheremone which attracts the flies which then get stuck in the trap. I aquired one of these and it seems to be catching flies but it does whiff a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 I have one that doesn't smell much but it also doesn't catch much. I have recently been sent one that I am warned smells very fishy and may annoy the neighbours as a trial. I haven't set it up yet but the satchet smelly pretty rank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wooky Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 (edited) I've really been noticing them this week, despite constant poo-picking and hosing down the yard. Today I followed the advice from other similar threads and bought some citronella essential oil and it really does work. I put 30 drops in a plastic spray bottle, filled with water and a dash of Wilkinsons 'green force' washing up liquid and sprayed where I was having fly problems and the majority have buzzed off. Amazing! Plus a few drops of oil on a cloth by the back door and wafting by the run have helped. Plus, it smells nice. I also bought a red top fly trap which apparantly takes a few days to activate. It's caught diddly squat so far and I'll get rid of it if it starts stinking as we don't have a large garden. Edited June 24, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted June 24, 2009 Author Share Posted June 24, 2009 thanks wooky... 30 drops to how much liquid, tried it with some tea trea a few weeks ago. think I didn't use enough of either t tree or citronella! maybe! My fly traps heaving and yes stinky if you ger down wind of them but there are few thousand NOT breeding bottled flys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wooky Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Oh gosh, I don't know the capacity of the sprayer... I'd say it's about a pint and a half of liquid? To be honest it was guesswork as to the amount of citronella but it seems to have done the trick and the little dash of washing up liquid helps disperse the oil into the water when you shake it before spraying. The rag with several drops of citronella really works too - I hung a bit above the door from the kitchen to outside and this evening there are no stray flies indoors. Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsallen08 Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Right, im off to town this morning. Its amazing really because my neighbours at the back of my garden dont get any flies with their hens but I think thats because I have the sun in the afternoon so they are all in my WIR and bothering me!!! We also have a huge composter at the back corner of our run which hasn't helped the fly situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsley Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I have two 10 week old Orpington bantams and they love flies!! As well as snaffling any fly that is daft enough to come near, they provide hours of amusement watching them flap around catching them. They are surprisingly agile given what dumplings they are. The two Araucana bantams do wonder what all the fuss is about though....... Far too highbrow for flies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickaboo Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Eculyptus plants keep flies away (well limit them anyway !) I have one in a pot by the chickens and one by the back door, Lavendar is also the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I've been driven to distraction this week with all the flies It doesn't help that we are surrounded by fields full of cattle and always have this problem in warmer weather, so I'm not sure if the chooks are contributing to them as it's our first chickeny summer. I always hang citronella & lavender rags everywhere but it doesn't seem to make much difference so I did a little search on the forum the other day (whilst wealding my swatter so ferociously that the swatting bit broke away from the handle! ) and came accross this company... http://www.flitrapdirect.com I'm pinning all my hopes on them! I've ordered 2 and they should arrive today . I shall report back on their performance... hopefully with a glowing report! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I've been driven to distraction this week with all the flies It doesn't help that we are surrounded by fields full of cattle and always have this problem in warmer weather, so I'm not sure if the chooks are contributing to them as it's our first chickeny summer. I always hang citronella & lavender rags everywhere but it doesn't seem to make much difference so I did a little search on the forum the other day (whilst wealding my swatter so ferociously that the swatting bit broke away from the handle! ) and came accross this company... http://www.flitrapdirect.com I'm pinning all my hopes on them! I've ordered 2 and they should arrive today . I shall report back on their performance... hopefully with a glowing report! I got these last year and Andy's customer service was excellent ! The site's been upgraded since last year! They are a bit to empty once they are full of flies and there's also the risk that any flies which don't die quickly use their time to mate & produce maggots....whilst this looks rather horrid, the fact that they can't escape means they aren't going to come out & annoy us all, so I didn't consider it a problem. I have one wedged up in the roof of the WIR - I figure if the blasted creatures are going in there to get the unpicked poo, they may as well end their days in there too!! The number of buzzing beasties does appear to be reduced, but I'm going to try the citronella, eucalyptus & lavender spray too.....belt & braces don't you know Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph101 Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I'd used citronella and tea tree up until a few months ago, but now I spray Deet all over the cube and roosting bars, which I bought from the equestrian shop that I get my poultry feed from. It does a fairly good job - I don't seem to have anywhere near as many flies this year. I remember someone writing about a home made fly trap concotion last year using sugar and vinegar - I think it mayhave been Eglutine...? I had a few of those fly trap things hanging up, and I found that the stink of those attracted more flies to the garden than the poo itself. Also, make sure you put Bokashi bran and garlic powder in their food. Helps with reducing smells in the poo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raina Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Red Top Fly Trap http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww.flytesofancy.co.uk%2f&WD=trap%20fly&PN=Red_Top_Fly_Trap.html%23aRTFT#aRTFT We're thinking about getting one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted June 25, 2009 Author Share Posted June 25, 2009 As always on this forum, you lot make me feel better! I was getting paranoid as several of my neighbours DON'T have a problem. Now I know horrid as it is . I am not alone there is a ruddy great eucalyptus tree next door that drops hundreds of leaves in one part of the garden, and the flies arre still there. I also have clumps of lavender growing in the corners of 3 out of 4 raised beds in the veggies patch.... Am of in a mo to see if there ARE indeed less flies on tht bit! SORRY ti keep asking questions... but what sort of Citronella... A litre bottle sld for lamps said dangerous to lungs if ingested. Does it need to be a pure essential oil and if so where did you buy it in large enough quantaties. re the dilution... Wooky.. thanks clearly used way to little in a 5litre sprayer! think hubby bringing back some heather from the walk soon, It did seem to keep them out of the otther house. I had forgotten that tip from lord knows where. will let you all know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
