I raised a bunch of chickens and guineas over the winter and now that it is hot weather, the mosquitoes are pestering them. I screened the windows of the coop, but when it is hot at night, I have to leave the door open so the air can flow through and help them stay cool - this allows the mosquitoes access to them (the coop is inside a covered chain link dog kennel to keep the chickens safe from predators at night.) The guineas roost in a tree near the chicken coop or on the dog kennel so I can spray them (and have sprayed them a couple of times) with mosquito spray. My problem is that the chickens and guineas watch me when I come out to check on them at night. Since their eyes are open, it is hard to spray them without getting the spray in their eyes. Does anyone know of a safe mosquito repellent? (Something to keep the mosquitoes away but won't harm the birds eyes?) Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thank you, Ladypearl
Does anyone know a chicken safe mosquito spray
Adams Flea spray
I second what Donna suggested... it's what I use for mites too.
Claire had a recipe for fly repellent... I'll look for the link.
Thank you Donna and ZZs, I appreciate the tip. I will find it at the feed store (?) I am assuming.
Yep, the flies are getting bad too.
One thing that helps with the flies are the traps that you hang up with water and bait in them. Only I don't use the bait they sell with the trap because it is useless, flies don't like it. I use pieces of cut up frozen sardines for the bait (you get the whole frozen sardines at the grocery store - they are about 4 to 6 inches long, very cheap.) The traps fill up with flies (I always keep three or four of them scattered in my yard hanging on trees when the weather is warm) so that I have to clean and rebait them every two weeks. But it is worth it to keep the flies out of the house! We have horses and goats in our neighborhood (and I have chickens) so there are a lot of flies in the summer.
To clean these type traps you stick the hose up inside and turn the water on pretty strong. This flushes the dead flies out. When its clean, pull another piece of sardine out of the freezer and pop it in, then rehang the trap. Works great and each trap lasts a couple of years or more.
Adams Flea & Tick spray is available at Walmart. I am not sure if I've ever seen it at the feed store.. but hey, it's cheap and works great.
I spray the chicken's vent area when they are roosting... Just every couple weeks or more to keep them bug free.
Thankz for the tip with the fly bags.. I can't afford to buy all new ones all the time!
The feed stores here do carry Adams.
Okay, I'll check our local feed store (Atwoods) for the Adams Flea and Tick spray. Is it okay to spray it on their feathers since they preen (and will get it in their mouth) ?
The flay traps that I use are the hard plastic dome type. They might be called Trap and Toss, (I don't remember). They are a little over $5 each, but since you can reuse them, they are worth it.
There are "essential oils" you can buy that repel mosquitoes.
•Citronella
•Clove
•Cedarwood
•Lavender
•Eucalyptus
•Peppermint
•Rosemary
It is extremely concentrated, so just add a few drops to water and shake it up.
They are used for soap making, candle making, natural perfumes, and insect repellent.
Thanks for the fly trap advise, I use the big bags and they fill up about every two weeks... The ones you described would be cheaper..
Hmmmm, maybe I'll try the essential oils also. The mosquitoes are really bad this year. Thanks everybody!