It’s starting to warm up, which means flies will be coming back around. Any homesteader who has chickens, horses, rabbits, or other critters might notice some flies around the farm. In today’s blog entry I’ll share some methods, to get rid of flies.

Like I’ve said before (in other posts) the solutions we share on TRAD are things that we have tried ourselves. Or, at the very least we have seen it being applied by friends, family, and fellow neighbors. So, these solutions should really work!

Getting rid of flies

• Before you get into more complex solutions, you could start off by avoiding flies. And, one of the best ways to avoid getting flies in the first place, is to give your animals adequately spacious living areas. That tends to spread-out their droppings and other messes. It also helps with air circulation inside shelters.
• Cleaning your critter’s shelter is also a good start. If you have any straw/hay that you’ve layed down for winter, it might need to be swept out or replaced occasionally.
• You could also get a fly trap bag, before (or even after) the flies infest your beloved farm or garden. These bags will catch the flies in hordes and keep them trapped. Just find the ideal hanging spot, and watch the magic happen
• Have you ever heard of fly predators? In some cases, chickens can natural dig through animal excrements and eat any fly lava or whatever. But, if the fly infestation is already out-of-hand, then, you need to bring out the big guns. You may have to buy fly predator lava (usually sold online). A close friend of ours has had huge success with that remedy. Though some claim that the fly predators do not work on deer flies.. but we wouldn’t know about that.
• Using pine shavings for chicken coop litter! Now, I am going to admit that this is a new one for us. We use straw and hay in our chicken shelters, and have no problems with any flies (currently). But, we have heard of others saying – hay catches moisture, and eventually causes fly problems. So, if you can, maybe try using pinewood shavings for your chicken litter.

Conclusion

I hope this blog entry has been helpful. I’ve tried my best to get to the point, and make this list as direct and snappy as possible. Kindly take the time to browse around the rest of the website, and follow our Facebook page. My wife and I are very grateful for all the love and support.