jackian Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Please what do you all use that is safe for spraying to detract flies . I have loads of flies this morning inside my WIR due to the heat ( I keep it clean honest ) Is it safe to use household fly spray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 No, don't use household fly spray. Red Top fly catchers are very good. Available on Ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammy72 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I noticed loads yesterday and the girls were freaking out with them buzzing round their heads. I put a few drops of citronella oil near the run and have ordered a red top fly trap from e bay today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I use 'flitrap' bought it a week after the girls arrived, and it's still going - it's got LOADS of flies in it, and I definitely notice less in and around my garden, once they start hanging around again I'll switch to a new one (I bought 2 at once, so I would have a backup) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaKiw1 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 We have an Omlet WIR and there's a hook in the centre of the roof. I have hung a wire flower basket (green plastic kind with hanging chains) from it and placed a cloth soaked in citronella in it. It's wafting gently in the breeze (and when we knock it every time we walk into the rWIR!) so hopefully might give off some off-putting scent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasperaliceuk Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I think it could be a bad year for flies as they seem to be everywhere, not just attracted by the chickens. I'm just waiting for one of those red traps from e-bay. I've also hung up my wasp traps as they are starting to get pesky too. Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 Thank you for all your help.I have ordered the oil and love the idea of putting it in a hanging basket. I shall hang it from the roof of my WIR with a butchers hook. I liked the idea of the red trap but on reading into it you need to have it at least 15 metres from the WIR and that is the distance from my back door and the other way is a car park. . I do have a not so nice neighbour so perhaps a red fly trap her side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 The red top fly things work well, but as has already been said, only if you have somewhere far away enough from your house and the run to put it. We got one last year and it was in a tree between our house and the run and after about 2wks the smell was horrendous and we had to get rid of it, honestly it was gross. What I need is to be able to put one in a neighbours garden, but somehow I can't see any of them going for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I liked the idea of the red trap but on reading into it you need to have it at least 15 metres from the WIR and that is the distance from my back door and the other way is a car park. . I do have a not so nice neighbour so perhaps a red fly trap her side If you get a flitrap as opposed to a red top, then you can hang it anywhere as long as it gets sunlight and a breeze and the scent can waft to bait flies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Fli traps work well, but I made the mistake of thinking the empty and reuse option was realistic. I have never smelt anything so gross in my entire life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutti Frutti Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 It might be my imagination but when I used Stalosan F, it seemed to keep fly quantities down - my thinking is that it must help a little by killing off the eggs... OK OK it was my imagination LOL Probably the cold snap had more to do with it I saw a solar fly killer in Maplin - has anyone tried it? Wish I'd got one now, £9.99 until 9th Aug so still time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 If you get a flitrap as opposed to a red top, then you can hang it anywhere as long as it gets sunlight and a breeze and the scent can waft to bait flies Is this the flitrap you mean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaKiw1 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 we buy our Citronella oil in Tescos - so cheap and cheerful. But anywhere that sells BBQ stuff often has it in bottles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 If you get a flitrap as opposed to a red top, then you can hang it anywhere as long as it gets sunlight and a breeze and the scent can waft to bait flies Is this the flitrap you mean Yes that one Mine's so full of flies, I can't deny it works, I won't be emptying and refilling though - the smell is too gross - I'll just bag and bin it and start afresh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 If you get a flitrap as opposed to a red top, then you can hang it anywhere as long as it gets sunlight and a breeze and the scent can waft to bait flies Is this the flitrap you mean Yes that one Mine's so full of flies, I can't deny it works, I won't be emptying and refilling though - the smell is too gross - I'll just bag and bin it and start afresh How close to your hens and your house do you have yours? Can't work out from the website if it will be okay to put half way between the run and the house which would place it about 10ft from the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 (edited) How close to your hens and your house do you have yours? Can't work out from the website if it will be okay to put half way between the run and the house which would place it about 10ft from the house. mine is a couple of metres away from the runs, I haven't actually got a picture with one in the photo, I shall take one later today when I get home (you'll see where it is and how full it is!) the flitrap now hangs on the corner of the arch at the entrance of the patio, so very close to the run, and still works very effectively. but I did have it also on a hanging basket frame nearer my house (about 10ft away), I only moved it because that part of my garden is the most shaded and sheltered, and it needs to be in sun and able to catch the wind to work best. EDIT: to remove picture as 2 better ones posted below! Edited August 3, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouldercroft Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I have my WIR on one side of the garage and the rescue flytrap on the other side - close enough to tempt the flies but not too close to attract the flies to the girls. It smells really really really really really bad - so you definitely want to keep this down wind of the house http://www.rescue.com/product/big-bag-fly-trap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Tutti Frutti, I was just going to say the same about stalosan. I was worried about eggs and things so put a load down yesterday & almost immediately the number of flies reduced. I thought it was my imagination too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Fingers crossed I don't have a problem with flys. I feed them on Garvo layers pellets and they have treats. I really think the Garvo food helps reduce flys as it firms up the poo. I have five they have a 4 metre run and an area that they are allowed to free range in. I keep the the cube run covered with clear tarp when it rains. I do not poo pick and only rake it out every 6 months. I do clean the once a week during the summer and every 3 days in the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 These are the pics I promised - showing positioning of flitrap (the eglu is just next to the incinerator, as I use the incinerator as a block for the poo tray to stop foxes), and the flies within it (that's over 6 or so weeks, and I will put a new one up this weekend, but will leave the existing one up until it's completely finished.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 apologies for the state of the garden I took them just before I left for work at 7am Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thanks for the pics Lauren Well I ordered one of the Flitrap things, so will see how that works. I have 11 hens now and I do put Stalosan F down in the run and I poo pick every day inside the Cube, the Eglu and the WIR and even again during the day if I see it needs it. I have Rapport down inside the run too. Now funny thing is I am noticing more flies outside of the run in the actual garden itself. There are tons of them on the grass, yet the hens aren't out on the grass much at all, maybe just for an hour each evening and we only let 4 of them onto the lawn as the rest have their own separate soil run at the back of the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thanks for the pics Lauren Well I ordered one of the Flitrap things, so will see how that works. I have 11 hens now and I do put Stalosan F down in the run and I poo pick every day inside the Cube, the Eglu and the WIR and even again during the day if I see it needs it. I have Rapport down inside the run too. Now funny thing is I am noticing more flies outside of the run in the actual garden itself. There are tons of them on the grass, yet the hens aren't out on the grass much at all, maybe just for an hour each evening and we only let 4 of them onto the lawn as the rest have their own separate soil run at the back of the garden. I notice flies around the garden far more too - and I only have 4 chickens! like you they have limited supervised free range time - I think this weather means we're rife at the moment - I know there's been a boom in the flying ant population too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa C Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I've recently bought a red top fly trap. It hangs about 10 mtrs from the house, 5 mtrs from the Eglu (its as far away as can be!). Reading these posts, I'm now worried about smells...should I abandon all hope now and live with the flies? How bad will the smells be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Dose the Flitrap smell like the red top can? At the moment I have the red top but it's not 10m away from the house and at times it can stink. It works but I think it is attracting every fly in East Yorkshire into my garden Sage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
