[wolverine]

Ok I've posted before about flies everyone seems to point to the red top fly catcher which is fine but is there a way of stopping the little * from breeding in the first place I'm not about in the day so regular poo picking isn't really an option there is always mountains of poo when I get back. You would think I had 50 hens in my garden not 3.  are there any good safe repelants avaliable or are we stuck with the big ugly smelly red top fly catcher?

[joyfull]

where there is pooh, trees, water, flowers etc there will always be flies, so in short no there is no way of eliminating them.

[greenun]

Dung beetles - that's the answer!

 

[Lynda_T]

Rue - is a natural repellant to flys, it has an smell they dont like so if u grow it in ur garden there will be less of the pesky flies but u wont get rid of them all.  They dont like citris i use citronella oil in the coup and the run keeps the flys down.

[8doubles]

where there is pooh, trees, water, flowers etc there will always be flies, so in short no there is no way of eliminating them.

Apart from moving to the north or south pole, no flies there.

Summer = flies.

[otis pony]

i have three girls who are kept in their run until lunchtime everyday and then let out into the garden.  the run is in the shade and i dont have too much of a problem with flies in there, maybe its the shade that deters the flies.  whenever i go out the back door i poo pick as i go, or give a short blast with the hose, about once a fortnight i wash slabs down with a weak solution of jeyes fluid, which the flies don't seem to like. its an ongoing battle i'm affraid

[wolverine]

So then my after admitting I can't prevent them I have my ugly red top fly catcher hanging in my garden however no flies yet have I mixed it right? I seem to have a sediment in the bag. for 10 quid I hope I've not screwed it up 

[greenun]

I suppose a red top fly catcher is similar to a plastic lemonade bottle strung from a tree with a shilling hole in the side halfway up containing a bit of liquid poo and whatever?

[richyrich7]

So then my after admitting I can't prevent them I have my ugly red top fly catcher hanging in my garden however no flies yet have I mixed it right? I seem to have a sediment in the bag. for 10 quid I hope I've not screwed it up 

Nope sounds about right it takes a week or two to start working fully , you have put it up some where sunny ?

They are truly awesome at catching flies in fact it's quite worrying when you see how many they catch ! 

[Foghorn-Leghorn]

Ah, you've answered my question about the redtop too... Mine has been up about four days now and is only just beginning to work.  I was worried I'd done something wrong too!  I've had some serious ribbing from the other half after saying how wonderful they were supposed to be!

[jhub]

I bought the red top fly catcher after reading about it on this site...... and it is extremely effective- haute cuisine for blue bottles. There must be thousands of flies drowning as we speak  BUT it looks horrible so I have draped a very fetching mini curtain around it. Must admit I am dreading disposing of it as per manufacturer's instructions.
Jane

[joyfull]

I have 3 in my garden (1/2 acre with loads of trees plus a beck at the side so thousands of flies normally) my redtops are mainly in the shade in the trees and like Richy said they can take a couple of weeks to work. Mine got about 3/4 full with flies then maggots appeared and broke it all down back to half full. They do smell when you are close to them and they are working, but boy the lack of flies in the garden and house is fantastic. Last year we were plagued with flies in the house (had 2 of the fly zapping things going, fly spray, swatters, window stickies and the old fashioned brown sticky tapes - yuk  ) but this year I think so far I have had a grand total of 4 flies  

[hendreary]

These "red tops" sound good where can I get them?

[joyfull]

me and grannie annie bought ours off ebay (we got 10 between us as this worked out a lot cheaper) 

[Chookiechook]

I have decided that when mine needs refilling I will use some fish flavoured cat food.....

The contents of the 'bait' seems to be little whitebait type fish so this should work the same !!!

Might get another one for the other end of the garden though

#Forgot to add that mine has been up (in the sun  ) for 6 days and it is nearly half full