# Product called "Fly Predators"



## DonnaBelle (Mar 11, 2010)

Hi All,

Well, been looking at the Hoegger's catalog again.  I see a product called Fly Predators.  It's a kind of little insect (I think) that eats up the fly babies, or something akin to that.

Has anyone on here tried it?  I would sure like to know if it works.

I HATE FLIES.

DonnaBelle


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## ()relics (Mar 11, 2010)

...and I hate introduced predators...IE: zebra mussels, asian carp,asian lady beetles...Things never work out quite as planned...


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## ksalvagno (Mar 11, 2010)

There are some alpaca farms that use something like that.  Here is the link to the place that most alpaca people buy those fly predators: http://stopflies.com/fly-control-programs/fly-control-programs-farms/

People who buy them swear by them. I never have used them so can't give you first hand experience.


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## Roll farms (Mar 11, 2010)

A friend of mine tried them...they were great at first but you have to keep buying / turning them loose every month or so...(I'm thinking they're sterile / can't reproduce....probably on purpose)...so you have to keep populating them.
He quit because that got expensive after a while.


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## RockyToggRanch (Mar 11, 2010)

I use them every year. I wouldn't be without them. They ship automatically each month during fly season.  They really do work for me.


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## annanicole18 (Mar 11, 2010)

My boss uses them and swears by them.  Her flies are not all gone but they could definitely be worse.


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## RockyToggRanch (Mar 11, 2010)

Just don't let your chickens get them...lol...expensive treat.


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## RockyToggRanch (Mar 11, 2010)

I prebook and get a discount. Here's the site
 spalding-labs.com


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Mar 12, 2010)

()relics said:
			
		

> ...and I hate introduced predators...IE: zebra mussels, asian carp,asian lady beetles...Things never work out quite as planned...


This was exactly my thought too, but if they're sterile I may reconsider.


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## RockyToggRanch (Mar 12, 2010)

Very friendly people at spalding labs will answer any questions you have. The web site is also very informative.


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## DonnaBelle (Mar 12, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the testimonials.  I think I'll give it a try this year.  

I love having the goat barn close to the house so I can look out the kitchen window and watch their antics.  Better than TV.

But, I don't want all the flies that goes with it.  

DonnaBelle


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## michickenwrangler (Mar 12, 2010)

A friend of mine loves 'em. Her neighbors (another story altogether) raise beef cattle and don't do much with their manure. She said the flies were horrible until she tried fly predators. We have a pond and the fish keep the flies down here.


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## RockyToggRanch (Mar 13, 2010)

Fly predators only eat the larvae of flies that lay eggs in manure. They don't take care of water born pests. Good to have fish in that pond


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## michickenwrangler (Mar 13, 2010)

In the summertime, the bats fly about 4 feet over the pond catching bugs, it's neat to watch them flying that low.


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## ()relics (Mar 13, 2010)

...Just to set the record straight...


> Like butterflies, Fly Predators and pest flies develop through a complete metamorphosis, from the egg, to the larval stage, and then emerging from the pupal or cocoon stage as full sized winged adults, remaining that same size for life. The pest flys egg and larval (maggot) stage are spent in the manure, but just before entering into the pupal stage the larva crawls up to 10 feet away from the manure and digs itself into the soil if possible to undergo its metamorphosis. It is the pest flys pupal stage that the Fly Predators attack. The female Fly Predator digs down and lays one or more of her eggs in the buried pest fly pupa. The female Fly Predators egg quickly hatches into a larva and starts feeding on the immature pest fly pupa. Then it undergoes its metamorphosis from pupal stage into full size adult. All of this takes place within the pest fly pupal case and the Fly Predator emerges to start the cycle over again. The time it takes to establish biological control is often longer than expected, but it is well worth the wait. It is not unheard of for biological control to take a season to become fully effective, but once Fly Predators are established, pest flies will never build up to nuisance levels.


this is from Spaulding labs website...you have to dig a little but its there....

I clearly read in the detail that the fly predator lays an egg which hatches into larva then feeds on the fly pupa....THAT MEANS THEY ARE BREEDING AND REPRODUCING...The object is for the predator to thrive and produces its own young which feed on the fly pupa...They will tell you that there is insufficient data as to whether or not these "parasites" can actually mate with local species creating a "Super Parasite" or if they ever get "out of control" and need to be controlled themselves....Because they don't KNOW.
....Could they get out of control?  I don't know...BUT NEITHER DO THEY...again see: Asian Lady Beetle...and Boy I love Those Things...The zebra Mussel...Did a good job cleaning up the water in the Great Lakes but ruined the natural ecosystem....I won't even start on the Asian Carp.......
I am not nor do I claim to be an insect pathologist, I just really like all the facts...I/We have enough natural pests without adding more to screw up our indigenous ecosystem...JMO


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## RockyToggRanch (Mar 13, 2010)

Yes, bats are awesome! We love watching them here as well. I plan on building some bat houses this year.


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