If you’ve got chickens, you’ve got flies, it’s just part of the deal. Warm weather, open coops, and plenty of manure create the perfect storm.
But while most people reach for chemical sprays or sticky traps, those quick fixes often harm bees, butterflies, and even your birds.
I wanted something safer, cheaper, and honestly, smarter. That’s how this simple fly trap came to life.
Flies might be annoying, but harsh pesticides do more harm than good. Chemical sprays contaminate soil, harm pollinators, and can irritate your chickens’ lungs.
Even sticky traps can accidentally catch beneficial insects buzzing through your garden.
If you prefer a natural coop setup, a DIY trap like this keeps things balanced, no toxins, no sticky mess, and no dead bees.
The design couldn’t be simpler. A small bait bowl sits underneath a green mesh net. Fresh chicken poop goes into the bowl, that smell is irresistible to flies.
Once they crawl down to feed, they instinctively fly upward toward the light and get trapped in the mesh.
In less than a day, you’ll see hundreds of flies caught inside.
After they die off, you can empty the trap and give your chickens a treat as dried flies are an excellent source of protein. It’s nature’s little recycling system in action.
All you need is a mesh fly trap (you can buy one online for a few dollars or reuse netting from old garden supplies), a small bait bowl, and a sturdy stick or pole to hang it from.
And the key ingredient is fresh chicken manure. It’s free, abundant, and incredibly effective.
Start by filling the bait bowl with a small scoop of manure.
Hang or suspend the trap about three to five feet off the ground, close enough for flies to find, but not right next to the coop’s food or water.
Flies will gather quickly, crawl into the bait area, and fly upward into the mesh net.
After a day or two, check the trap. You’ll be surprised how many it catches.
Empty the dead flies into a bowl for your chickens to snack on, or compost them if you prefer. Then refresh the bait and let the trap keep working.
This trick works best when the bait stays moist, so keep the trap in a shaded spot during hot days.
You move it every few days to target new fly zones and prevent buildup. Replace the manure bait every three to four days as fresh scent means better results.
If the trap starts to smell too strong, rinse it out with water and set it back up.
The best part of this method is that it uses what you already have, no fancy gadgets, no ongoing costs.
It reduces the fly population dramatically while keeping the environment chemical-free.
And since the flies become food for your flock, you’re closing a tiny, sustainable loop right in your backyard.
See also: Many Gardeners Don’t Know to Use Chicken Poop as Fertilizer. Here’re The Right Way
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