BYE BYE FLIES- BARN HOP #3

Warm weather approaches and with that comes other challenges, mud from the melting of the ground, and flies, who can now exist in the spring temperatures.

The mud is short lived as the ground firms up and dries out, but the flies are here to stay until the first frost, which is the end of October around here.


If you own animals, or have wet areas on your homestead, you will have flies. Even if you don't but a neighbor does, you will, because flies can travel over a fourth of a mile.

We have wet areas and animals, Horses, Rabbits, Chickens ,and Ducks, and have kept the flies under control for the six years using Fly Predators, a natural way of fly control.

Fly Predators are parasitic wasps, a beneficial insect, that eat the larvae of flies, keeping fly reproduction under control. They don't harm people or animals, are minute in size, and  come out at night to do their job. We order our fly predators from here.


They won't kill the adult flies though. We just have to wait out the 30 day life span of the adult fly, and in the meantime, we hang fly sticky tape in the barn and in the chicken coop, replacing them quite often. It works well and they are very inexpensive.


Of course, we also have to do our part by keeping animal habitats clean, by removing manure and any damp shavings or hay to the compost pile.


The fly predators come in a clear sealed bag in larva form. They are not released until some have emerged and are moving around in the bag. Then you simply sprinkle them near animal areas. They can travel about 150 feet.

We put them in our horse manure compost pile. We make a small hole, just a few inches deep and gently cover it up. They will emerge when they are ready and come out at night .


We also have to be careful where we put them and try to hide them because they are delicious treats for birds, hens and ants. We also hang the bag on a nail behind the barn and outside the chicken coop and they can fly out when they are ready.


It's an easy and natural way to keep the fly population under control.


Check out the others at the Barn Hop #3 .

happy day!