Flies in the coop are something everyone with chickens deals with, especially when the weather gets hot. What most of us want is a natural way to keep flies in the chicken coop to a minimum, and I am here to tell you that not all natural fly control works…but some of it does!
Here in the Phoenix summers, flies in the coop can get out of hand fast if we do not take a few steps to stay ahead of them. Something about the heat of summer brings those nasty boogers out in droves.
The first thing you need to know about your chicken coop, and honestly your homestead in general, is that you are probably never going to get rid of every single fly.
But we can fight the good fight and reduce them significantly.
Flies in the Coop: How to Get Rid of Them Naturally
I have 7 natural ways for you to fight the good fight against flies in the coop while still keeping your hens happy, healthy, and chemical free.
Some of these are free things that every chicken keeper should be doing anyway. Others are natural fly-control methods you can test and see what works best in your own coop.
1. Clean Up the Poo
Flies love poo. There is just no nicer way to say it.
So the best way to keep the fly population down in your coop is to keep it clean. If you can, clean under your roosting bars every morning. I have a small coop, so I use a pan under the roosting area to catch most of it, which makes this job much easier.
You’ll also want to check the nesting boxes and clean those up as needed. Add that wonderful chicken manure to your compost area and replace any dirty bedding with fresh bedding.
In the summer, I like to sprinkle a little Sweet PDZ Coop Refresher under the roosting area to help keep things dry and cut down on odor, which also seems to attract fewer flies. This can be especially helpful if you know you are not going to be able to clean one morning for whatever reason.
2. Keep It Dry
Speaking of dry, flies also love damp areas. Because of this, one of the best things you can do is keep your chicken coop and run as dry as possible.
If you are not able to clean the whole coop and yard area every day, having the right bedding makes a big difference. You want something that absorbs moisture well and is easy to freshen up as needed.
One of the most effective things I have found is sand. You can almost clean it like a kitty litter box, which makes daily cleanup so much easier. I have yet to find a perfect way to keep all of that sand in the chicken yard, but replacing it periodically has not been too much of a time or budget issue for me.
If you are considering sand for your own coop or run, I recommend checking out The Chicken Chick’s article on using sand in the coop. She goes into more detail on how to use it safely and effectively.
3. No Rotting Food
If you are like me, a lot of your food scraps head to the chicken coop before they ever make it to the compost pile. The hens love a treat, and I love sharing with them.
BUT.
You need to remove any leftover food scraps at the end of the day, preferably before the sun goes down. Rotting food in the coop or run will attract flies fast, and possibly even worse…rodents.
Keep a small rake and scoop near the coop so you can quickly gather up any leftovers before evening. Then you can toss those scraps into the compost where they belong.
See my tips for keeping a rodent free coop too!
4. Let ’Em Free Range
If you have the space, and a safe way to do it, letting your flock free range for part of the day can help keep the coop cleaner too.
Instead of all that manure staying in one small coop or run area, they spread it out around the property a bit more. Free ranging can also be great for the health of your chickens, and your hens may reward you with even better eggs.
The only downside?
They may decide your porch, patio, or walkway is also part of their free range area. And yes, chicken poop on the porch can bring flies there too. So if your chickens free range near the house, you will want a plan to keep them off the porch or clean up those areas quickly.
5. Fly Predators!
You can use the flies’ mortal enemies to your advantage.
Fly predators are another great way to combat flies in the coop with very little work on your part. They work by stopping flies before they ever become, well…flies.
This is not a replacement for keeping your coop clean and dry. It is just another weapon in the battle of the flies.
Fly predators usually come shipped in shavings, and you place those shavings in areas near your coop, but not where your chickens can get to them and eat the helpers. The female fly predator lays her eggs inside the fly pupae, which stops those flies from developing and helps create more little warriors to fight the fly problem for you.
Be sure to follow the package directions and place them near the coop, compost, or manure areas, but not where your chickens can scratch them up and eat them.
6. Plants and Herbs and DE…Oh My!
Let’s talk plants as a natural way to help with fly control around the chicken coop.
The first thing you can try is placing a few Venus flytraps in pots near your coop. Not inside the coop, and not where your chickens can help themselves to a snack, but close enough to help catch a few flies. They may not solve your whole fly problem, but they are fun, useful, and definitely make an interesting conversation piece.
Your next line of defense is planting herbs and plants that flies tend to dislike. Some good options are lavender, sweet basil, lemongrass, citronella grass, mint, and lemon balm.
You can also use dried herbs in your nesting boxes and coop bedding as a pleasant natural deterrent. They smell nice, make the coop feel a little fresher, and your hens may appreciate the cozy touch too. You can dry your own herbs or buy pre-made nesting herbs made especially for chicken coops.
And then there was diatomaceous earth, or DE.
If you choose to use DE, make sure you are only using food-grade diatomaceous earth, never pool-grade DE. Some chicken keepers sprinkle a small amount in nest boxes or coop bedding, but I would use it sparingly and avoid creating dust clouds. Chickens have sensitive respiratory systems, and honestly, so do we.
For more on this, see my article on using Diatomaceous Earth on Your Homestead.
Also See: 12 Herbs for Chicken Health: Natural Remedies for a Happy, Hardy Flock
7. Fly Traps
Lastly, let’s talk fly traps as a way to control flies in the coop.
I put fly traps last because, frankly, they should be your last line of defense. Fly traps only deal with adult flies, and I would rather keep flies away in the first place or stop them before they ever become adults.
We can’t get them all, and that is just a sad fact of chicken keeping in the summer. So it helps to have a way to trap the flies that do make it to adulthood.
My preference is to use sticky strips and replace them often. They do not use chemicals or bait to attract more flies. They simply catch the flies that are already hanging around.
That said, you need to be careful where you place them. Sticky strips should always be hung where your chickens, wild birds, pets, and children cannot reach them. You do not want a curious hen, songbird, or anything else getting stuck to one.
I have tried some of the baited fly traps, and while they do catch flies, many of them stink. In my mind, they can also end up attracting every fly in the area to you. Sure, they may show results by filling up with flies, but I always wonder how many of those flies would have been there if I had not baited them over in the first place.
Naturally Preventing Flies in Your Chicken Coop
Naturally preventing flies in the coop is not hard, but it does take some diligence, especially during the warmer months.
The more you stay ahead of manure, moisture, old food scraps, and the things that attract flies in the first place, the easier it is to keep the problem under control.
Will your chicken coop ever be completely fly-free? Probably not.
But with a few simple habits and natural fly-control methods, your coop will be cleaner, your chickens will be healthier, and you will not be swatting quite so many nasty little pests around your house either.
More Backyard Chicken Help
- Backyard Chickens 101
- How to Have Happier Chickens 11 Tips
- Fight Your HOA for Backyard Chickens
- Keeping Chickens Cool in the Summer
This post was originally published in 2017, but I’ve updated it with fresh tips and links to help you fight the good fight against flies in the chicken coop.
