Fly Predators

[Deberosa]

During one semi nice day a week ago the flies started to come out in force! This is a new development here with cows and pigs.

After some research I discovered fly predators. They can be found at www.spalding-labs.com. You put in how many of each kind of animal you have and they recommend a "doseage". I'll get a package every month plus one bonus in July.

I sprinkled them around the manure areas today, trying to avoid where most of the birds are because they will eat the cocoons before they get a chance to hatch.

They are tiny little bugs that pay their eggs in fly maggots. Their young then kill the maggots. I've heard quite a few good things about them so decided to give it a try. At $92 for the whole season for all of the animals I have that is about the same I would pay for harmful insecticides.

[Drawbar]

Bats work good as well and are a natural way to keep the fly/mosquito population down. They eat their weight in flys/mosquito in a night so its quite a bit.

Personally I love to watch them fly around and make those "square corners" like they do, and its as easy as putting up a few bat houses.

[Deberosa]

Good idea, I may need to put up a bat house also. I did put up lots of bird houses when I saw a swallow try to nest in one while it was on display at a fair we went to! No takers yet but I do have lots of swallows all day for the mosquitos.

[WRTN]

Deb,

For the typical house fly type and size fly, the fly predators work great. They however do nothing for gnats and the small noseeum kinda flies that are attracted to manure piles and the like.

[bookwormom]

that reminds me, I have to go and spread DE. I noticed last year int he goat shed it made a difference and I have to use up a fifty pound sack. But those predators sound interesting too. wish there were predators for Japanese beetles.

[mistyriver]

We've had very good luck with fly predators as far as the flies that breed in manure piles. This is our third year using them and we won't do without them.