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Senior Member
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 8:55:34 AM
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I'm a conventional farmer but buying insecticides infuriates my cheap-skate mentality, plus I know my forefathers never bought the stuff. Lately, and by accident, I have found two organic, effective solutions to flies.
The first is with my sheep. I have a bunch of penned up, sick sheep and the flies could be bad. After I started using lime to help change the ph in the pen and help kill the bacteria that forms foot rot, I noticed the fly population was non-existent. It was even lower then when I sprayed insecticide every day. So if you want to organically reduce the number of flies around your bedded livestock...try lime. 3 bucks gives you 50 pounds which goes quite a ways...far better then buying expensive insecticide, and it helps with fertilizing your gardens/farms too.
The second is in regards to flies around me as I work. Then I started to try to figure out why bugs never bothered me when I used fresh laundered clothes. Then over time I deduced that it was the dryer sheets my wife used that kept the bugs away. I admit I look stupid, but by stuffing some dyer sheets halfway out of my pockets keeps the bugs away. They do cost money, and I do look silly, but I don't smell as bad as when I am doused with bug spray...if I was actually to do that. I kind of dislike bug spray to be honest with you. Are the dryer sheets cheaper then bug spray??? I don't know, but I think the dryer sheets are more "green" then the bug spray option.
I'm trying some dryer sheets tacked up around my sick sheep pen too, but I need to use lime still for the foot rot so a conclusive test has not been made on whether it works or not.
PS: I ought to start going for SARE grants for some of this stuff I try (LOL)
Eat lamb...because 50,000 coyotes CAN'T be wrong!
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 8:15:30 PM
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| DB I buy my dryer sheets at Dollar Tree, they come in a box of 55. Like you I'm "thrifty" I have a recipe for homemade fly trap bait that is used in an empty milk jug with a straw stuck in a hole for the entrance. I'll dig it out and post it a little later. I use it a lot because with meat chickens you get A LOT of flies and it works just as well if not better than the stuff you buy at Tractor Supply, Lowes, Home Depot, ect. After you get this stuff mixed you don't want to spill it on yourself pouring it in the jug it reeks (ranks right up there with the alfalfa tea I use on my gardens)
Lord keep your arm around my shoulder & your hand over my mouth
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Average Member
Group: Banned Members
Last Login: 11/1/2009 6:18:12 AM
Posts: 586,
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Just stop drinking sugar... even in your coffee.
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/26/2009 9:38:01 AM
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I found this really good trap at walmart. Its a plastic bag with a yellow cone in it so the flies can go in but not come out. Inside is just some thing that looks like wood chips but releases an odor that attracts flies. All you do is open it up, hand add water and wait. No pesticides.
Works REALLY good but hang far away from the target area as it attracts a LOT of flies. Cheap only like $3 - $5 lasts about a month or two. kills a lot more flies than fly strips. I have one bag that is FULL of flies, we are talking hundreds if not thousands. Nasty lol. But keeps em out of my way ;)
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/3/2009 11:30:17 PM
Posts: 29,
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| Draw- I second the dryer sheets. We started using them when we were trenching through fields in the summer. As far as looking silly, I think there just might be a new fashion statement. lol While we are on the subject, does anyone have a cure for gnats near the kitchen sink. I have tried bleaching the drain, scrubbing everything around it. There is nothing new to the kitchen that should be attracting them. BTW we are not slobs, other than concrete dust when Chet comes home were are fairly clean people. I purchased something similar to a fly strip at walmart. It a clear plastic piece of tape that sticks on the window above the sink and has REALLY stick attractant on the other side. It works, but they seem to be multiplying anyway. Ugh.
Steph
Lazy L Ranch
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Average Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 6:17:56 PM
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| We hang gallon size zip-lock bags with water in them. Then give them a whirl. The water in the plastic bag messes up the sight of the fly. Tried it at P2's b-day party and it worked.
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