# Flies, flies, amd more flies!!!



## Micgrace (Sep 22, 2012)

The stalls have been taken over by flies, what can I do?

I was told lime works, but Im not sure what to do with it, I bought it about 3 weeks ago and its just sitting there. LOL Can I put it in the stalls where my goats sleep? I sure dont wont to hurt them? Any ideas anyone?


----------



## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

you sprinkle it over the floor then put down bedding hay.Be carful,it is nasty stuff and can burn skin.One of my cousins was blinded as a child from lime thrown into his face and it burnt his eye!! But it does work to a certain extent.teejae


----------



## Billythegoat (Feb 11, 2013)

You can also use bronco fly spray for horses. It is safe for goats. My horse trainer sprays it all over her goats and area. I am going to start doing it once I get my spray back from my neighbors.


----------



## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

You can also use fly traps, bait stations, spray, fly strips, and/or predators to control the flies. 

Warning - fly traps stink to high heaven when dumping them, so you might want to stick to the disposable type. You can buy the tops, then bait empty milk jugs and stick the tops in them. When they are full, remove the tops, screw on the original lids, and toss the whole thing. Do not hang fly traps in or near the pens, as they attract flies. Hang them in surrounding areas so the flies are attracted away from the pens and animals. 

Bait stations MUST be hung so they are out of reach of the goats, and wind will not knock them down. I like the Apache bait stations because the bait is fully enclosed, but has little slots to allow the flies to eat it. I use them with Max Force fly bait - the bait will literally kill a fly in less than seconds after ingesting it, and they are eager to eat it. I tie them to the rafters in the sheds/shelters/barn using twine or wire. 

I don't know of an effective spray, but maybe someone else does. Fly strips are pretty self-explanatory. Predators are tiny wasps that eat fly larva, but do not harm anything else. There is a thread on here somewhere about them. Good luck!


----------



## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I would not use fly strips, just saw someone lose a few kids because the wind blew the strips down, and the kids licked them. They were poisoned.

This sounds strange but I'm going to try it. You put four pennies in a ziplock bag full of water and hang it in the barn. Evidently the water and the flies' eyes magnifies the pennies, making the flies disoriented. I've heard from several people that it works. I forget if you are supposed to hang it outside or inside of the barn ... either way worth a shot, as long as they can't get to the plastic.


----------



## olfart (Mar 7, 2013)

I started feeding my goats food grade diatomaceous earth about a month ago in the hope that it might reduce the fly population. Something definitely is working, because I went from swarms of flies in the goat shed to just an occasional fly. They say the DE causes the poop to dry out quicker, making it less suitable for fly breeding.


----------



## Micgrace (Sep 22, 2012)

Thanks everyone, as soon as the rain goes away I will be working on some fly killin


----------



## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Another option for fly control.

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail....6&ccd=IGO047&gclid=CLLZ_pGFmrgCFagWMgodXDMAnw

I've been waiting for this to hit the market for several years!


----------



## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

ThreeHavens said:


> I would not use fly strips, just saw someone lose a few kids because the wind blew the strips down, and the kids licked them. They were poisoned.
> 
> This sounds strange but I'm going to try it. You put four pennies in a ziplock bag full of water and hang it in the barn. Evidently the water and the flies' eyes magnifies the pennies, making the flies disoriented. I've heard from several people that it works. I forget if you are supposed to hang it outside or inside of the barn ... either way worth a shot, as long as they can't get to the plastic.


Tell me if it works!!


----------



## rhodalee (Feb 11, 2013)

They say you can hang basal up to help with flies


----------



## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

The lime that burns is not the lime you use in a barn. You want the lawn stuff, its ground up limestone. The stuff that burns is quick lime, and can be dangerous. I have used garden (or horse stall) lime for years with no problem.

This is what I use:

Fly predators (in the past, couldn't afford them this year) They work wonderfully.

Fly tape in several places in the barn. I use the long thin ones as well as the very wide ones made for a dairy barn.

An automatic fly sprayer that runs on a battery. One can lasts a month and it sends out a single blast of the spray every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. I have that in the goat stall.

Bayer Quik Bayt in the spray bottle. You add water and spray on surfaces. I spray the milk stand and all the walls in the barn. It lures the flies to it and when they eat it they die. That stuff works great. It's not anywhere near as poison to animals as most of the other fly baits. In fact, its partially made from the same stuff as the Advantage flea and tick drops for dogs only less than half strength than the dog stuff.

The fly population in my barn was reduced by over half when I started using the spray on Quick Bayt.


----------



## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

The fly tape strips are rubber and oil mixed together, 100% non-toxic. I have had goats chew on them and never had a problem except to be covered by the stickiness. I found one of my hens hanging from one when they were free ranging. She flew into the barn and got tangled in it. What a pain to de-tangle her. The tape had feathers all stuck to it. She was pretty sticky for a few days. 

The insecticide strips can be toxic to pets and livestock if ingested and the vapor can cause problems for children. I never had any luck with them doing much to the flies.

The predators only bother fly larvae. The female lays eggs in the fly larvae. When they hatch, they eat the developing fly maggots. They are great unless you have free ranging chickens, who love them.

I like the fly traps, but for me, the only ones that worked were the ones made from plastic bags that you add water and open the smelly bait. The ones you make from milk jugs never worked at my place. The bags work best if left in the sun for a few days. The lfies get trapped, lay eggs and die. Soon you have a bag full of dead, decayed flies and maggots. Those attract even more flies. Pretty gross and stinky, but work well.

I am really impressed by the Quick Bayt spray.


----------



## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

http://www.kunafin.com/Fly_Eating_Wasps.php


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

*Country Vet® CV-80D Farm and Dairy Bomb, 24 oz. Aerosol*

This stuff works great 
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/sto...arm-and-dairy-bomb-24-oz-aerosol?cm_vc=-10005


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Get ducks! They eat flies. I haven't noticed any major fly problems since we got ducks, but then it also might be because this is such a rainy year. :shrug: Happy ducks either way. 

Or, take a look at the old-fashioned flytrap I built. Works great. After the first two days of use, fly population was reduced about 90%.

http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f203/amazing-flytrap-132307/


----------



## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

I have ducks, but our barn is literally PACKED with flies still! GAH frustrating. But yes, they are happy and cute.


----------



## fd123 (May 29, 2012)

Ive always heard that you can take a Ziploc bag 3/4 full of water, and put a few pennies inside ....then hang it in door ways and openings..they say that the flies think this is wasps and will stay away..??? ... I don't know if itll work or not...lol... guess it wouldn't hurt to try! They also say you can hang CD's and itll have a similar effect to bugs..??.. I do know that the Quick Bayt is AWESOME!!
heres a like that says there is scientific proof the penny in Ziploc bags work! 
http://www.ehow.com/video_4951462_repel-bugs-pennies-water-plastic.html


----------



## silveira_ranch (Jun 14, 2013)

Fly predators! They ROCK.


----------

