The Poultry Keeper

Tensing · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:57 am Post subject: Flies, Blue Bottles etc

Just been out to check the ducks and Bantams and saw something shinny and colourful in run, on closer inspection I realised it was blue bottles feasting on duck poo, wouldn't mind but I only cleaned the entire area yesterday.

Any way I hate flies, especially blue bottles, i need some advice on traps or deterrents other than the obvious cleaning up poo, which I do every day any way.

I have looked at these two products and wondered if any of you use them, are the effective with blue bottles.

http://www.pestcontrolshop.co.uk/acatalog/FLITRAP_FLY_TRAP__2-PACK_flies.html

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-TOP-FLY-CATCHER-FLY-CONTROL-FLY-KILLER-TRAP_W0QQitemZ180011184242QQihZ008QQcategoryZ50365QQrdZ 1QQcmdZViewItem

CP · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:16 pm Post subject:

Don't know about the first one, but I can vouch for the Red Top.

We used them last year to great effect & the container was heaving when the time came to dispose of it. It looks pretty gross though & it does smell a bit too, so you may want to fix it somewhere you don't have to see it very often! Shocked

Presumably the other one smells too, as this is what attracts the flies in the first place. Wink

Having said all that, it won't get rid of flies completely - I don't think anything would! But it does reduce their numbers. Smile

Tensing · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:48 pm Post subject:

Thanks, I have just ordered a Red Top from EBay.

nigel · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:53 pm Post subject:

the red hat fly trap thumbright

Big Thumbs Up from me

Heather · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:54 pm Post subject:

Have Bumped Nigel's original thread for you Tensing Wink

Tensing · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:06 pm Post subject:

Thanks, slightly worried now as it will only be about 5-6 metres from house

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

According to the write up on ebay you can put it up to 15ft away from where the flies are ~ so just try to get it as far away from your house as you can.

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

I use this too - it is amazing! you will be astounded by the amount of flies it catches.! And apparently it is most effective with the female flies which breaks the reproductive cycle.

Debs
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lilly the pink · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 78 Location: Wiltshire

I just bought a couple of those funny looking glass wasp traps to try out. I got them in the barbeque section of the local garden centre.

They look like little glass lobster pots. The bugs fly up a central funnel type entrance in the bottom and can't fly back out again. You bait them by pouring a bit of fruit juice or a mix of jam and water in through an opening at the top, which is sealed with a cork.

Anyway, I bought them to help keep wasps away from the kids while they are playing outside in the summer hols.

I hung two up in the garden and have been amazed at how many wasps and flies these little gadgets have caught in just a few days.

I think one or two wasps go in attracted by the juice and then the smell of them attracts the flies who were just piling in there. Practically a queue to get up the funnel!

The best thing about these wasp pots is that they were only about £3 each and being made of glass you can empty the dead flies down the drain and relaod with fresh juice when you need to.

If you can get hold of original old fashioned ones they are very much bigger than the ones I bought, so you could collect quite a load of fly slurry!

lilly the pink · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 78 Location: Wiltshire

Oh I forgot to mention - there is also no horrible stink which many of you are finding with the Red Top traps.

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

They sound great!!!

And instead of tipping of them down the drain - put them in your compost bin - the nutrients from flies are tremendous (apparently).

I will look out for the wasp catchers now I know they will get the flies as well!!!

Thanks

Debs
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