Mosquitoes in the coop...LOTS OF THEM!!!!!

[TheJuan-n-Only]

I've looked around the site for a possible solution, but couldn't really find one.

I live in Florida and my coop is filled with mosquitoes. I got 6 bites while sitting in the run for just a few minutes. There so many you can just grab them out of the air with your bear hand. The chicks snatch them off the air here and there, but I was wondering is there is something I can do control the mosquitoes without harming the birds?

I hate for a birds to get sick of the bite of a mosquito!!!

 

[triplepurpose]

Well, if it makes you feel better, Juan, I live in Hawaii myself! We have plenty of mosquitoes here as well, probably at least as many as you do, I'd guess. More after heavy rains, etc, of course.

Frankly, I've never seen it as a problem or worried about it one bit, and we've had chickens here for over twenty years. I've never seen a case of fowl pox or anything else of that nature--and yes, it DOES exist here, along with avian malaria and no doubt a few other things. But the birds don't seem bothered by them, so I don't worry about it at all. Besides there's not much to be done, besides getting rid of anything that might be holding stagnant water in the area, like old containers, tires, puddles, overgrown foliage, etc. Some people may tell you to spray poison, but IMO that does more harm than good, and it won't be a permanent solution anyway--you'll have to reapply the carcinogenic stuff periodicaly, and most likely you'll just breed insecticide resistant mosquitoes after a while--after you've killed off all the bees, butterflies, and poisoned the chickens and yourself...

I say why try to fix what's not broken? That's my suggestion anyway... Good luck to you!

[edited for clarity]

 

[TheJuan-n-Only]

I figured it was a long shot!! thank you very much for your help! I guess OFF for me when I go in there will have to do! hehehehe

 

[FLchook]

Im also in FL, and feel your pain. Mosquitoes are horrible right now. My chickens have never really seems bothered by them either. If I'm going to be out there for a bit, I just mist myself with OFF. I've been contemplating on trying the new mosquito repellent you just clip on your belt. They are made by OFF.

 

[flowergirl60]

If they are in the coop, maybe a fan. I have one in my coop and no mosquitos, no flies.

 

[LeelooD]

Also in Florida here. We got a Mosquito Magnet last weekend. My husband set it up next to the house. I think they are breeding in old tires in my neighbor's yard because I'm staying on top of all the water sources in my yard. The chicken run is set up halfway between the fence with the neighbor's yard and the Mosquito Magnet so right now it's actually worse there since it is in their line of flight! I wanted to move the Magnet against the fence, but we got the one with the cord and my husband is afraid it will get in the way of mowing and weedeating. I just hope the Mosquito Magnet is killing them faster than they are breeding! There are a lot of dead ones in there, but still plenty in the air! Maybe I can convince him to move it around the corner of the house so that it will be closer to the fence.

The biting flies are worse! I have Rescue fly traps in each corner of the yard, but those don't seem to be helping much. I hung a fly paper ribbon on the outside of the run which worked really well when we had a few dry days in a row, but now that we are getting regular afternoon thunderstorms, I don't think they'd stay sticky long enough.

 

[kerroppi76]

Quote:
My chicks are not outside yet but we do get the occastional mosquitoe. I have a clip on for my baby since I don;t wanna spray him yet and it seems to work great!

 

[tbitt]

What is a mosquito magnet? (insert blushing smiley here)

 

[TheJuan-n-Only]

Quote:
My chicks are not outside yet but we do get the occastional mosquitoe. I have a clip on for my baby since I don;t wanna spray him yet and it seems to work great!

You know I bought one of those clips and now I can't find it! hahahahaha I'll get another one and will try it out. I just hate to put off on..the clip may work!!


thank you all!!!

 

[LeelooD]

Quote:
It's this machine that uses propane to produce CO2 and a chemical lure to attract mosquitoes. It has a fan that sucks them into a mesh trap where they get dehydrated and die. It is pricey- like $300 for the basic model, plus the cost of propane and lures, but my husband spends that much on toys that he rarely uses so I figured if $300 would help us enjoy our backyard more, it's well worth it!