6 Best Fly Prevention Tips For Backyard Poultry Owners That Work With Nature
Control coop flies by working with nature. Our 6 tips use your backyard’s ecosystem, from proper manure management to beneficial insects and repellent herbs.
Every chicken keeper knows the summer hum of a happy flock is often drowned out by the buzz of flies. These pests aren’t just an annoyance; they carry diseases and create stress for your birds. The goal isn’t to wage an endless chemical war, but to create an environment where flies simply can’t thrive.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!
Understanding the Fly Life Cycle on Your Farm
Flies aren’t just a random nuisance; they follow a predictable, four-stage life cycle. It starts with eggs laid in warm, moist organic matter—like chicken manure. These hatch into larvae (maggots), which feed voraciously before turning into pupae, the hard-shelled stage where they transform. Finally, an adult fly emerges, ready to start the cycle all over again in as little as seven days.
Understanding this is the absolute key to control. Your coop and run are a perfect fly nursery if you let them be. Simply swatting or trapping adult flies is a losing battle because you’re only addressing the 15% of the population you can see. The real work happens by interrupting the cycle at the egg, larva, and pupa stages, which are all concentrated in and around the manure and damp bedding.
Master the Deep Litter Method for a Drier Coop
The deep litter method is your first and best line of defense. It’s a system of continuously adding fresh, dry bedding (like pine shavings or chopped straw) on top of the old, allowing beneficial microbes to break down the manure. This process generates a bit of heat and, most importantly, keeps the surface of the coop floor dry. A dry surface is inhospitable for flies looking to lay eggs.
However, "deep litter" is not "no-clean." It requires active management. You must turn the litter with a pitchfork periodically to incorporate oxygen and prevent it from compacting into a solid, wet mat. A poorly managed deep litter system, one that gets too wet, will become a fly-breeding paradise. The goal is a coop that smells earthy and sweet, not like ammonia and waste.
Using Sweet PDZ Coop Refresher to Control Ammonia
Ammonia is more than just a bad smell; it’s a dinner bell for flies. This gas, released from decomposing manure, actively attracts them to your coop. Sweet PDZ Coop Refresher, a brand of granulated zeolite, is a powerful tool for neutralizing this attractant at the source. It’s a completely natural mineral that works by absorbing moisture and trapping ammonia molecules.
Think of it as a targeted supplement to your deep litter management. When you notice a damp spot or a whiff of ammonia, especially under the roosts, sprinkle a layer of Sweet PDZ before adding fresh bedding. It doesn’t replace good ventilation or proper litter depth, but it gives you an immediate way to control the two things flies need most: moisture and the scent of decay.
Hot Composting: Turning Manure into an Asset
Let’s face it, your chickens produce a lot of manure. If you just pile it up near the coop, you’re building a five-star fly resort. The solution is to actively manage it through hot composting. By creating the right mix of carbon (bedding, leaves) and nitrogen (manure), you encourage thermophilic bacteria to get to work, heating the pile to temperatures between 130-160°F.
This heat is the magic ingredient. It’s hot enough to kill fly eggs, larvae, and pathogens, effectively sterilizing the manure. In a few months, you transform a fly-breeding liability into a nutrient-rich asset for your garden. This isn’t a passive process—it requires turning the pile to keep it aerated—but it’s the most sustainable way to handle waste and break the fly life cycle outside the coop.
Deploying Rescue! Disposable Fly Traps Wisely
Even with the best management, you’ll have some adult flies. Traps can help, but placement is everything. The common mistake is hanging a potent, stinky trap like the Rescue! Disposable Fly Trap right next to the coop door. All you’re doing is inviting every fly in the neighborhood to a party right where your chickens live.
Instead, use traps as interceptors. Place them strategically around the perimeter of your property, 30 to 50 feet away from the coop. Identify the flies’ likely travel paths and hang the traps there, preferably downwind from the area you want to protect. This tactic draws flies away from your flock and intercepts them before they even arrive.
Release Fly Predators from Arbico Organics
Biological control is about recruiting nature’s own army to fight for you. Fly predators, available from suppliers like Arbico Organics, are tiny, non-stinging wasps that are the natural enemy of the common housefly. They don’t bother humans or chickens; their sole mission is to find and destroy fly pupae. The female predator lays her eggs inside the pupa, killing the developing fly and hatching more predators instead.
This is a proactive, not a reactive, strategy. You must release them before you have a major fly problem, typically starting in early spring. You’ll receive shipments every few weeks to maintain a healthy population that continuously patrols your property. They won’t eliminate every fly, but they work silently in the background, preventing populations from ever exploding.
Using Harris Diatomaceous Earth for Larva Control
Get 4lbs of HARRIS Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth, a natural product with no additives, OMRI listed for organic use. Includes a powder duster for easy application.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is another excellent natural tool, but it’s often misused. This fine powder is the fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms. On a microscopic level, it’s very sharp and abrasive. For soft-bodied insects like fly larvae, it works by scratching their exoskeleton and causing them to dehydrate and die.
The key is to use food-grade DE and apply it correctly. It is only effective when it’s dry. Dust a very light layer over dry bedding or in areas where manure might accumulate, but avoid creating big clouds of dust that can irritate your chickens’ respiratory systems. DE is a great spot treatment for problem areas, but it’s useless in a damp environment, making it a poor choice for wet litter or muddy runs.
Creating a Sustainable, Year-Round Fly Plan
There is no single magic bullet for fly control. The most successful approach is layering these natural strategies to create a system that is resilient and self-sustaining. Each method targets a different weakness in the fly’s life cycle, creating multiple points of failure for any potential infestation.
Your year-round plan should be built on a foundation of moisture and manure management.
- Inside the coop: Maintain a dry deep litter system, supplemented with Sweet PDZ.
- Outside the coop: Actively hot compost all used bedding and manure.
- For prevention: Start releasing fly predators in the spring and continue through fall.
- For control: Use DE for targeted larva control in dry spots and place Rescue! traps on the perimeter to intercept adults.
This integrated approach shifts your mindset from constantly reacting to a fly problem to proactively creating an environment where one can’t take hold. It’s about building a balanced backyard ecosystem, not just fighting pests.
Ultimately, effective fly control is a byproduct of good farm hygiene. By focusing on keeping your coop dry, managing manure properly, and leveraging natural allies, you can spend less time swatting and more time enjoying your flock. It’s a system that works with nature’s cycles, not against them.
