Natural Pest Controlling Methods: How To Control Flies In Your Chicken Coop
Use These Methods in Your Chicken Runs and Coops to Deter and Prevent Flies

Natural pest controlling methods can be both effective and safe for how to control flies in your chicken coop. There are many different varieties of flies, but they are all usually grouped into one large family name, and everyone refers to them simply as ‘flies.’ Not just annoying, flies also spread diseases such as: cholera, typhoid, yellow fever, polio, and possibly salmonella, Lyme disease, tuberculosis, as well as a host of others.
The transmission comes in a couple of different ways. Some flies actually bite, and the transmission of disease can come through the saliva. More often, the fact that flies will eat anything that is decaying material, whether it is a carcass, feces, vomit, rotting food, etc., is the source of the transmission of the diseases. Flies land on these bacteria laden objects, and then land on food that we will ingest. A female fly looks for these objects hoping to find a suitable place to lay her eggs, several hundred at a time which will hatch between 8-24 hours later, knowing that when they do hatch, they will have ample food source available to them.

Natural Pest Controlling Methods For Your Chicken Coop
1. Learn how to clean a chicken coop. The first and most obvious way to control flies in the chicken coop is keep the coop as clean as possible. Any droppings the chickens leave will immediately begin to attract the flies. These flies are not only annoying to your chickens, but they can also transmit diseases to them.
Fly strike is perhaps one of the worst issues they can cause. Fly strike occurs when your hens have a wound, or ‘poopy butt,’ or any area of damage that a fly can land on and directly lay her eggs into. When the eggs hatch, the larva immediately begin to feed on the tissue they were laid on. This creates a horrible maggot infested wound that could easily take the life of your chicken, if not treated.
Chickens take dust baths for several reasons, but one is to help smother any insects that may be on them. (Another reason to keep the coop floor clean and free of poop.)

2. Air circulation. We have placed ceiling fans in the runs as well as an outdoor portable fan, pointed toward their food dishes. This constant mild source of wind is enough to keep flies from landing in these areas.
3. Planting herbs. Natural pest controlling methods can also extend to growing herbs outdoors around the chicken coop. Planting herbs that are natural pest repellents like rosemary, lavender, lemon balm, lemon grass, catnip, and mint can deter flies. Cut and bundle them to hang around the coop and fencing.
4. Make your own natural pest controlling methods. Here are a couple D.I.Y. projects for all natural fly-repellants such as an all natural basil mint herbal fly spray and fly strips, as well as several others from Fresh Eggs Daily.
5. Diatomaceous earth uses. Last but not least, I use diatomaceous earth in the coop to control pests such as flies and mites, and we have never had an issue with them. “DE is an all natural silica-based crushed fossil that kills hard-shelled insects. It kills fleas, ticks, flies, aphids, earwigs, silverfish, crickets, millipedes, centipedes and digestive worms while being completely safe for chickens.” – Lisa Steele
Flies are inevitable, however the cleaner you can keep things, the fewer you will have to deal with, and I would always try to use natural pest controlling methods to prevent flies, rather than the chemical alternatives that could be damaging to your chicken’s health.
I use pine shavings in the chicken run, change or replenish it every four to six weeks; never have had any problem with flies or odor. I also sprinkle diatomaceous earth over their run and roosting area. I only have 6 chickens so that helps too