It’s common for residents of Sussex County, NJ, to have a chicken coop on their property, and for good reason.
Chickens can help you live sustainably. You can supplement their diets with food scraps, working to reduce food waste. They also offer natural fertilizers and can help to keep pests away (for the most part). And the best part is that you have free, organic eggs, on demand.
Although chickens eat bugs such as grasshoppers, spiders, and centipedes, their coops are known for attracting flies. Since a chicken coop has plenty of fresh droppings in it, flies are naturally drawn to these areas.
Luckily, you can work to prevent flies from invading your chicken coop. If you still find that flies are buzzing around your chickens, you can invest in professional pest removal services to remove flies in a chicken coop.
In the meantime, it's important to understand why flies gravitate toward your chickens and what you can do to
get rid of these flies.
What Attracts Flies to Chicken Coops?
As mentioned, flies are attracted to fresh chicken poop. They lay their eggs there and, in turn, these eggs become maggots. Maggots then become flies, and the cycle repeats itself.
Unfortunately, if a chicken coop has poor ventilation, droppings will stay moist, which means they’ll continue to attract flies. If there is any seepage of rainwater, the droppings won’t dry out.
How to Prevent Flies
For starters, you should always keep your chicken coop clean and dry. You may need to clean it daily or every other day. It all depends on how many chickens you have and the condition of their coop.
If you can keep your chicken coop pristine, you’ll greatly reduce the odds of flies infesting any moist droppings, infiltrating the area. By creating a schedule of when you’ll clean your chicken coop, you can incorporate this cleaning regimen into your schedule and reduce the incidence of flies.
You may want to clean your chicken coop with apple cider vinegar. It works as a natural disinfectant and is safe for chickens, so long as you use it in moderation.
Flies are naturally repelled by the scent of apple cider vinegar, so you can clean your chicken’s coop while working to eliminate flies from the area.
How to Get Rid of Flies in a Chicken Coop: Plant Herbs
There are some herbs you can plant to keep flies away from your chicken coop. However, be sure that all plants are non-toxic to people and pets when using them as a means of fly control in a chicken coop.
You could
plant basil, as it’s non-toxic to dogs and cats. Another safe
plant is mint. However, you should never plant Pennyroyal, as it’s toxic to humans and animals. This plant is non-culinary and should be avoided at all costs.
Do Flies Carry Disease?
Yes, flies carry disease. And you don’t want an infestation to make its way indoors. For example, flies can transmit as many as 65 different diseases to people.
Some of these diseases include anthrax, leprosy, and tuberculosis. Whenever a fly lands on a surface, they excrete and regurgitate, spreading disease-infested organisms about your home. Once you have an infestation, you need a
professional pest removal company to get these pests out of your house.
Get Rid of Flies in a Chicken Coop Today
If you find that the methods in this article don’t work and you still have flies in your chicken coop, Serene Property Services can help. We offer residential pest removal services in Sussex County, NJ, and Warwick, NY. We also offer preventative, recurring pest removal services all year long.
We’ll work with you to create a custom pest-removal plan, helping you to rid your chicken coop of flies and other pests. We have the knowledge and expertise to tackle any pest removal issue.
Call us today to schedule an appointment.
