Flies

Flies are a BIG problem here.  The hot weather, lots of poop, and moisture.....well that's a perfect recipe for a fly outbreak.  I have used Golden Malrin with great success.  I keep tiny little containers of it way up off the ground.....so no cats, dogs, chickens, ducks, turkeys, goats.....etc...could get to it.  It has worked very well for years.  But last fall, when I was cleaning up...I found the dead shrunken body of a lizard in one of the bowls.  Apparently the fly attractant worked, and the lizard was smart enough to go to the bowl to eat his fill of the flies.  The problem with this is that any fly predator that eats the poisoned fly will die as well.

We encourage the propogation of lizards, and try to teach the barn cats to let the lizards live (although with variable success....ever try to train a cat?).

So this year I am trying a different approach.  It makes perfect sense since we've released untold thousands and thousands of lady bugs and we've put out Praying Mantis egg caskets.

I had to make an order with our livestock supply company and while looking through the catalog I found these fly predators.  I finalized my order on Monday morning, had the little buggies in my hand yesterday afternoon.  As always, Jeffers is a customer pleasing company...I highly recommend them!

So today I am giving these guys a shot. 

By the way, there is a HUGE list of things they feed on, including tomato hornworm, corn earworm.....
Here's how the package looks.....for 5,000 of the little darlings...

I will keep you posted with results.....if they work as well as the other predatory bugs we've tried...I'll be thrilled!  Time will tell.