I hate them. Worse than cockroaches because cockroaches are easier to deal with and they generally avoid you. A steenking fly is incessant. Relentless.
How do you deal with them? My shop is a breeding ground all of a sudden. Do you use bait? Which one works best?
Smear bacon grease all over the place. It keeps bears away so should work for flies too. 8)
In the fall of the year we get lots and lots of big lady bugs. To get them out of the shop i will start a wood fire in the stove, leave the door open,shut the damper and smoke them out, might work for other flies too.
SE
Yep I have always wanted to smear bacon grease and start a fire in a steel building, in Texas, in June. It will definately work because the flies will still be eating the bacon grease and I will be unable to enter the shop. Problem solved.
We have many of them freakin things too. You can simply make your own fly traps out of a quart jar with a lid. I use quart cealers with the metal lids. Take a 2 1/2 inch spike and make four or five holes in it with the lid on. I use an over ripe banana in the jar for bait. Every couple of days change the bait or like I do throw the jar away before you get a bunch of maggots.
The easiest method is prevention. Every fly you have at the start of the season will reproduce into gazillions later. Eliminate all breeding areas for flies like wet areas, manure piles, dead and rotting organic material, etc. Flies need undisturbed manure or wet organic material piles to reproduce.
Second, there are now some premise sprays that are available that really work. You spray on the building walls and let it dry. It will wash off with repeated rains so it needs to be reapplied periodically. The stuff really works. In past years when we had dairy cows we hired a guy to come and spray the buildings about every 4-6 weeks starting in the spring and had practically no flies all summer. I believe the product he used was called Tempo and can be obtained at farm supply stores. However for best results, start early before they get out of control. I just sprayed the outside of the house this morning.
Last resort is the aerosols that contain Pyrethrin or the synthetic version called permethrin. The are only effective in closed areas that you can seal off and hold the spray for some time. If you can't enclose the area, you will kill some and the remainder will become partially immune to the spray so it will lose it's effectiveness. Best place to buy again is farm supply stores. Look for the highest percent of active ingredients.
Yes, the baits, traps, and strips will catch some, but they will keep coming. ::)
Predator flies. Releasing a batch of 5000 today. They feed on the larvae of other, less desireable flies.
Predator flies link (http://www.spalding-labs.com/home.php)
Captain
Quote from: Captain on June 12, 2007, 01:58:32 PM
Predator flies. Releasing a batch of 5000 today. They feed on the larvae of other, less desireable flies.
Sorry Captain but I am not convinced these predator flies are harmless. Many people do not realize the problems we are now having with Lady Bugs and Japanese Beetles may have been created by the "approved" release of millions of these bugs by soybean farmers to control Aphids in their soybean fields. Now we have problems with all three bugs.
Yea don't get me started on those DanG lady bugs. These DanG bugs have ruined what used to be beautiful fall days in Iowa. Most days now, you cannot even go outside because of the huge swarms of ladybugs. Then they are in your house all winter, just in cse you didn't get enough of them in the fall. >:( >:(
That's ok Gary. We're pretty happy with them here. The predators are tiny in comparison to the common horsefly that will just carry us away from this time of year until October.
Captain
have to try that tempo stuff. I live near tomatoe farms and cow fields and the flys and gnats are a real problem in the summer time.
As usual, I agree with Gary C., but would like to add a little. If you have wet areas with organic matter, sprinkle a little hydrated lime on them from time to time. If you have animals confined, move them as far away from your living area as possible (unless it's a coon then bury it :D :D). We have had very poor success with the 'sugar baits' but we do use the aresol spray cans in the dairybarn if there are a lot of flies after we have cleaned up.
Patty, don't use spray on those ladybugs that get in your house-----they are really offensive to your nose and worse after they are dead.
Here is one of the better web sites for pest controls. Pest Control Supplies (http://www.pestproducts.com/index.htm)
Bro Noble
Us old dairy farmers have to stick together. :D But I gave it up last fall, how long are you going to keep putting up with that tail-across-the-face job? :) If it wasn't for this logging and sawing now, I'd be a CBF farmer. Thats Corn, Beans, and Florida. 8)
The trap described of the jar and lid with holes in it is very effective. I have a different operating strategy though. Place a small piece of meat in the bottom and some water. The flies get in and can't get out, they drown. Leave the dead flies in the jar, their body fluids add to the water and there body is more bait for others. There is no need to tend the trap until it becomes too full to work. Then throw it away. ....unless you have the stomach to clean it and use the jar again. :)
I like the light traps they are low maintence and they dont smell your bug man should have one. If you can put your traps around the door facing in so that you draw them out of the shop instead of putting them in the back and drawing them farther in. If you watch them little maggot daddys they spend most of there time from the ground to about six or seven feet so traps work best at about chest high. They dont like a breeze if you have a steady breeze outside they may be taking shelter in your shop. If you can set up a cross breaze in your main work area they might leave you alone. Alot of the little resturant kitchens that i visited at a old job swore by zip loc baggies full of water hung around doors and windows in the sun. None of them could realy explain why they worked but they all used them and swore they worked. A citreanela candle or two till you find something more permanent.
All the rain yall had might have triggered a strong hatch.
No flies on me? ;D
Quote from: limbrat on June 12, 2007, 06:13:28 PM. . . . . if you have a steady breeze outside they may be taking shelter in your shop. All the rain yall had might have triggered a strong hatch.
You nailed it on both counts. There is always a breeze on my little hill here, and it is raining again. Right now. I think we are going to outrain Hawaii and London put together this year.
I don't know what you have for a door opening,but there is a country store down the road that hangs up zip lock bags with a few inches of water in each bag.The top of the door is covered with bags in a sraight line.They get confused and won't go by the bags.There have been doing this for 5-6 years I guess.They claim it works.
Only thing I get in the shop are bumble bees. I don't like killing them. Now, since the past week, we have deer flies. They last a couple months and are gone. I only get squeeters at night outside and the black flies are quite sparse by the house. The deer flies are the only things that annoy me. Well...........no-see-ums swarming out of hay fields before daylight are hot to. But, non here by the house. :D When the deer flies are gone it seems we have some kind of blow fly that doesn't bite but crawls all over.
Swallows and martens eat flies...not for sure how many but I bet there more efficient than me and my fly swatter for control.
Been watching a pair of barn swallows this spring. They had 5 babies in the first clutch. One fell into the mouth of the waiting cat, one was dead in the nest, but I think the other three made it. They are working on there second clutch now...not for sure how many in it yet.
I fixed up a trap like Tom described, but I got in trouble cause I used one of the bosses canning jars. Few days later she put up a similar store bought trap. It was a plastic bag that you just add water. When it fills up you throw it away. Didn't ask what the price was...and probably don't wanta know anyway.
Bats man, bats. ;D
Quote from: Gary_C on June 12, 2007, 04:57:25 PM
Bro Noble
Us old dairy farmers have to stick together. :D But I gave it up last fall, how long are you going to keep putting up with that tail-across-the-face job? :) If it wasn't for this logging and sawing now, I'd be a CBF farmer. Thats Corn, Beans, and Florida. 8)
I'm goona sell the stoopid things just as soon as I get all my debts paid off :D :D :D-----bought four more last friday and my wife thinks we can handle a few more ::)
Noble
Ya cant pay off da debts if ya keepm spending da money buying new stoopid one s... ::)
When I saw this taking place on the side of my laptop monitor I knew it was time for more extreme measures. (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12394/DieFlies.jpg)
If you look close you can see a couple of customers. (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12394/DieFlies3.jpg)
This is after I turned the switch to the shopvac on. (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12394/DieFlies2.jpg)
Whenever I walk past I almost always have 2 - 5 visitors. I switch them gone and move on. Quick and easy.
I figured out what happened to the vanishing bees. Some wizard somewhere tunred them into flies. I need to patent a flytrap that has a timer on it and a suction port so you don't have to rely on them waltzing into the trap. Every ten minutes the fan turns on for about 5 seconds and sucks them against a sticky mat inside where they starve to death. Not even the most extreme naturalist, treehugging Greenpeacer feels compassion for the lowly fly.
So you killed them with a slice of ham baloney? ::) ::)
Yes. They land on the the ham and when I walk by I flip the switch. They get sucked in.
Quote from: beenthere on June 26, 2007, 05:37:00 PM
So you killed them with a slice of ham baloney? ::) ::)
That stuff would kill just about anything...... :D :D :D
;D You notice I didn't use any raw ribeye. :)
Quote from: Tom on June 12, 2007, 05:10:57 PM
The trap described of the jar and lid with holes in it is very effective. I have a different operating strategy though. Place a small piece of meat in the bottom and some water. The flies get in and can't get out, they drown. Leave the dead flies in the jar, their body fluids add to the water and there body is more bait for others. There is no need to tend the trap until it becomes too full to work.
I made one of these and they work. An old plastic mayonase jar with 5 quarter inch holes in the top, a pinch of wiener and some water. I had a jar full of flies in a week.
Stew
man I would need a jar full of flies in an hour to do any good. They are everywhere. they are fighting each other for airspace and landing on top of each other enearly where I have my laptop, and there is no food source anywhere near where they are congrogating. Except me. Maybe I am dead and don't know it yet.
Maybe ya should just shower. ::)
That shower is a good ideer.
Tell ya what I did in the meantime. I cleared the desk of all paper and secured all lightweight stuff. Then I rolled my 13,000 CFM shop fan (made in Arkansas not China) over to the desk and turned it on. No flies. Not one. It's a little cool though and I had to reposition the laptop so the monitor was sideways in the jetstream as it was unable to stay open against the blast. No flies. Not one.
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/moosefly.jpg)
These guys don't mess with bologne, they go for live, pulsating, blood filled, flesh. ;D
Excellent macro Donk. Did you take that pic? That's just a regular housefly ain it?
Furb I wasn't joking about it being cool. The moist air at that speed works like a swamp cooler. I had to turn it off it was too cold. Only one fly has yet to return and a quick swat just sent it to maggot heaven..
Kev, I took the pic in 2004. It was a deer fly working his mandibles down through my cotton shirt in search of blood. ;)
I hate deer flies, BUT THEY LOVE ME!!!!!!!!
Bruce
Quote from: SwampDonkey on June 27, 2007, 04:50:34 AM
Kev, I took the pic in 2004. It was a deer fly working his mandibles down through my cotton shirt in search of blood. ;)
Oh what a photographer will do to get a picture ;D
yikes_smiley
where's my fly whacker. ;D
"Timing has alot to do with the outcome of a raindance" :D Saw that on a customers website just now. I guess you would want to do the dance right before a rain. I don't think a town would pay if you did it right after. :)
Life cycle of a deer fly (http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg224.html)
;D
Here's my results. i was not able to attract many customers with my mason jar (actually a plastic jug) trap. I tried 3 different types of bait. Lunch meat, peanut butter, and tuna. I only caught 3 or 4 flies in 2 days. I used 1/4" holes like you said radar.
I got so fed up I wnet and bought some Raid Flying Insect Killer Formula 6. I will probably die of cancer in a year but I have NO FLIES! That stuff works immediately. I have 1 or 2 show up over the period of a day but I quickly swat them. All I did was soak the sides of my garbage can with the spray and also the entire shop floor. I don't plan of licking my shoes any time soon.
The flies are virtually gone. I know these carcinogenic sprays are not a good idea but I do not plan to use them often. i don't think I need to. There are dead flies all over my shop. I watched them land on the side of the can and in a few seconds they would fly off, do funky spins in the air, drop to the floor, and go into convulsions before going off to fly heaven.
Like I say, I may be clueless but I am also nearly flyless. ;D
My jar is plastic as well. I use a piece of wiener with just enough water to leave the top part of the meat exposed. Mine is almost full the second time around. I place the jar on the ground, I read somewhere that it had to be less than 4 feet off the ground to work??? Maybe you just didn't hold your mouth right when you put it together. :)
Stew
Quote from: kevjay on July 02, 2007, 10:43:57 AM
All I did was soak the sides of my garbage can with the spray and also the entire shop floor. I don't plan of licking my shoes any time soon.
She does!
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12394/NoseLicker.jpg)
Quote from: kevjay on July 02, 2007, 10:43:57 AM
All I did was soak the sides of my garbage can with the spray and also the entire shop floor.
Maybe you should empty your garbage more often. ;) ;D ;D
Stew
We bag our garbage in 1 gal. plastic baggies and store it in the freezer (old refrig with upper freezer) during the week. Then it doesn't have a smell to it.