# Fly management



## Southdown (May 27, 2012)

Flies are part of farm, no doubt, and we usually use fly ribbons hanging in the buildinsg to keep the population under control.  But today, like no other day, the flies were insane around here.  They have been all over the sheep, biting them like crazy.  The sheep did not have any open wounds or cuts on them prior.  The flies were actually biting into their skin and CREATING bloody wounds.  I have not had this experience before where they were this bad!  The flies were even biting us outside.  My father-in-law stopped over and he couldn't stand the flies biting after being here for 20 minutes.  We were desperate, so we sprayed the sheep with an aerosol fly repellant for dogs and cats.  I'm not sure if it worked or not, to be honest.  I suspect it may have been worse today because the sheep got washed out in the rain yesterday and the lanolin was probably low.  What does everyone else use to keep these darn flies off sheep?


----------



## shy sheep (Aug 14, 2012)

I don't have flies that bad, but flies are attracted to stink and stench. Maybe if you have sweet things around they won't like it. If you have a dog, maybe they'll eat the flies, my dog does. My sheep also poop a LOT but I keep the poop away from the pen so not to attract flies toward the sheep. Hope that helps.  -shy sheep


----------



## secuono (Aug 14, 2012)

Dry areas usually have less flies, I would dry up as much as you can and sweeten the soil or add barn lime to wet areas. 
I use the horse fly repellant on my sheep w/o issues. Seems to only last a few days on horses, less if it rains. But once things dry out, they flies usually leave. 
You can also set up disposable fly bags far away from the barn/animals/house to draw and catch them.


----------



## gruberguy (Aug 15, 2012)

I spray my hair sheep with Permytherin spray. Works great on my sheep,dogs, chicken pen area, dog bedding area, and garden. It's under $5 at Tractor Supply, and goes along way....


----------



## Alice Acres (Aug 15, 2012)

For immediate relief, you can use fly spray for horses or other stock.
As mentioned - less manure and dryer conditions lessen the population. Whatever you can do to improve that will help.
You may have just had a big hatch, or even weather related - before storms flies bite like crazy.
We have used the strips in the barn - they do attract and trap a lot of flies. On the downside, it seems like someone always manages to walk into them. 
This year I tried those traps - containers with an attractant. It really works, and no mess, no smell (outdoors). They are in an area away from the stock and barn.
But, we have had the very least flies ever for the last 2 summers - which I totally attribute to our flock of free range chickens!
They are bug/insect egg/maggot eating machines! They work through the pasture and in the barn through all the bedding.


----------



## Southdown (Aug 15, 2012)

Alice Acres said:
			
		

> For immediate relief, you can use fly spray for horses or other stock.
> As mentioned - less manure and dryer conditions lessen the population. Whatever you can do to improve that will help.
> You may have just had a big hatch, or even weather related - before storms flies bite like crazy.
> We have used the strips in the barn - they do attract and trap a lot of flies. On the downside, it seems like someone always manages to walk into them.
> ...


I'm from MN too.  So we used the hanging fly ribbons and also bought the fly traps with attractant.  We actually hung those from the ceiling inside the barns and it worked well.  A combination of the two worked.  There are always some flies, but it reduced the population.  I have chickens, but I don't have them free ranging yet.  It sounds like I need to do that asap.


----------



## EllieMay (Aug 16, 2012)

The day I walked into my barn and it sounded like a hoard of wild bees were living in there, I knew I had to do something to reduce the fly population.
Like you, I use the hanging fly ribbons and the fly traps with attractant. That combination works well.
I also sprinkle DE all around to keep things DRY. It is good for drying up poop.
My chickens do free range but they don't eat flies.
The baby chicks will eat the flies they catch but not the adult chickens.
I also hang the vanilla tree air fresheners in certain areas.
I 'heard' the flies don't like the smell.  But I do, so it works for me.


----------



## bluebirdsnfur (Aug 16, 2012)

I am very new to sheep and yes we are also dealing with the flies. I also use DE to sprinkle in their bedding and where they poo after cleaning up the most soiled areas. I hung several fly strips in the barn and hung a fly bag on the fence away from the barn. Over a week and there are still no flies in the bag but lots are stuck on the strips. I keep a spray bottle in the barn with water, lavender oil, and witch hazel mixture and spray it on my sheep and me as a fly repelent when I am out there. It all seems to be working. I have a lot less now.

Something new I m trying I just read about. Fill a quart ziplock bag with water, put in 3 or 4 pennies and hang in window or doorway. Supposed to to keep flies away. Sounds silly but I'm willing to try ideas that are more organic.


----------



## Southdown (Aug 17, 2012)

bluebirdsnfur said:
			
		

> I am very new to sheep and yes we are also dealing with the flies. I also use DE to sprinkle in their bedding and where they poo after cleaning up the most soiled areas. I hung several fly strips in the barn and hung a fly bag on the fence away from the barn. Over a week and there are still no flies in the bag but lots are stuck on the strips. I keep a spray bottle in the barn with water, lavender oil, and witch hazel mixture and spray it on my sheep and me as a fly repelent when I am out there. It all seems to be working. I have a lot less now.
> 
> Something new I m trying I just read about. Fill a quart ziplock bag with water, put in 3 or 4 pennies and hang in window or doorway. Supposed to to keep flies away. Sounds silly but I'm willing to try ideas that are more organic.


Can you share the recipe for the sheep repellant spray?  Where do you get lavendar oil?


----------



## Bridgemoof (Aug 17, 2012)

bluebirdsnfur said:
			
		

> Something new I m trying I just read about. Fill a quart ziplock bag with water, put in 3 or 4 pennies and hang in window or doorway. Supposed to to keep flies away. Sounds silly but I'm willing to try ideas that are more organic.


Tried it last year...it doesn't work, lol. It's supposed to confuse the fly's vision or something, but it doesn't. Good luck with the flies!


----------



## bluebirdsnfur (Aug 19, 2012)

Southdown said:
			
		

> bluebirdsnfur said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My spray bottle holds about a pint of water. I put in about 13 drops of lavender oil and and about a tablespoon of witch hazel and sometimes lemon grass oil, if I have some, all of which can be purchased at any health food store. I like mohitos, lol!, so I grow mint in a pot and will sometimes muddle (mash) some mint leaves in a bit of water to add to the mixture.


----------



## bluebirdsnfur (Aug 19, 2012)

Bridgemoof said:
			
		

> bluebirdsnfur said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh pooh!  Really?    Oh well...it was worth a try.


----------



## tiana29 (Aug 21, 2012)

I saw this trick at a fish market in Oregon and don't ask me why or how it works because I have no idea. The fish market had a sandwich size zip lock bag about 1/2 full of tap water hung in the center of all the open door ways. When I asked about it they said it was to keep the fly's out and as I looked around there was not a single fly in the market. So I had to try it for myself and it does work but the water has to be fresh daily and it only works over a smaller opening like a man door. We tried it in our garage with multiple bags hung across the opening but it didn't really work. But I still use this trick for my house since I don't have screen doors. I have not tried the penny theory which I have heard works as well.


----------

