Fly management

[bluebirdsnfur]

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?

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]

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!

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

 

[tiana29]

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.